Firefly Tears
by YupThatsMySock
Summary: Takes place in Feudal Japan. Everyone has a secret in the 19th Edo Infantry, but Sakura's is the biggest. Disguised as her brother, she joins the army and forms unlikely and comical friendships with some of the soldiers. Gender bending and mild yaoi.
1. The Son

I originally published the full story of this on TONFA (The Original Naruto Fanfiction Archive) so, if you guys become _so _wrapped up in this story that you have to read the next chapter-- and then the rest of the fic-- you can just go there and read the whole thing. The summary was a lot better on TONFA, too (where our summaries can be as long or as short as we want!) and I just thought I'd post it here:

(Takes place in Feudal Japan)  
In the 19th Edo Infantry, everyone has a story.  
There's Naruto Uzumaki, a young man with a big heart and courage like a lion. He'd throw himself into danger to save any of his comrades in arms, especially his tentmate, Sasuke Uchiha. But his bravery-- or is is lack of caring for his own life?-- is his way of atonement. Because there was one person that he just couldn't save...  
There's Sasuke Uchiha, a raven-haired, strong young man who refuses to talk about his family or past. He has a secret. Someone's out to get him and finish a job they couldn't complete. Sasuke would do anything to escape his fate, even if it meant joining the army. Unfortunately, now has a tentmate that he's desperate to protect form his past...  
There's Sakura Haruno, who is disguised as her brother, Kei, in order to help him escape from the fate of joining the army in the draft that came to her village. She's in s very sticky situation: she's a girl, so there's the job of keeping her identity a secret, especially from her tentmate, Izumi...  
And there's Izumi Togu, a sensible young man who's caught up in the fact that his tentmate is a girl. Intrigued by this, he struggles between protecting her-- finding a way to send her home without having her killed because she's female-- or protecting her wishes of preventing her brother from ending up where she is...  
In the end, they're all united by one thing: a common enemy that they'll have to defeat to save everything that's precious to them, especially each other.

Yeah...there you go. To say that this story (when it was in publication, any way) had a cult following is an understatement. This was one of the most popular stories out there. ^-^ Bam.

**Warning: This is a gender-bender and does have yaoi-- well, closer to a romantic friendship. It's really mild. If you like that kind of thing, read on. If you don't...well, you can stop, but it's a good story.**

"Naruto" an it's characters don't belong to me. Enjoy. Please review-- a good review is a nice gift, andit helps me to become a better writer.  
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**SAKURA**

If I could describe my brother with one word, it would be precious. He was the most important thing in the world to me, and I would do anything for him.

His name was Kei, and, like his name suggested, he was lucky. He had an uncanny sense of everything, from it being when the next rainfall would be to what the winning numbers were at the village lottery, winning our family of three dinner for a week.

Kei was very handsome. Even at twelve, he had young women gazing at him and wondering if he'd ever look their way. His brown hair would flop into his eyes that were the color of leaves, just like mine. His skin was tanned with the sun from playing and working in the fields, and his body was well toned from both.

Often times, he would follow me into the village when I went to get food or to help her mother at her stand. She sold rice and sat on a blanket, smiling at people who passed by.

Kei...there was no one more important to me. And after our father died in a fire, Kei did his best to become the man of the house. But I would baby him constantly, treating him like a child even when he protested.

There was nothing quite like the relationship my brother and I had.

But then the draft came to our village.

When the men on horses came, I was sitting with the village herbalist, an old woman with a shock of white hair and folds of wrinkly skin. I called her "Granny Witch" and helped her prepare medicines.

Granny Witch could do anything, it seemed-- she could cure colds, heal injuries, clean out infections, anything medical. She could even perform wonders like changing the color of your eyes or hair by eating certain plants, or to make your skin seem to glow when you applied a salve to it.

At that time, I was sitting in her hut, rolling leaves into packages so she could sell them to people who needed them. Granny Witch never sat in the market-- she would only wait in her hut. People would come to her.

I sat at the small table, making another packet of leaves. They were mint and thyme leaves, creating a unique aroma that left its traces on my fingers. It made me alert and sleepy at the same time.

A horse with a soldier trotted by, and I looked up when he went. Surprised, I went over to the window and peered out, only to see several more soldiers, all in full armor, and all on brown horses.

"Granny Witch--" I said, pointing, and she cut me off.

"Yes, child," she said. "It's time for a draft. We haven't had a draft to this village for thirty years..."

"A draft?" I asked her. "What's that?"

"The enlistment of young men in the army," Granny Witch told me in her frail, brittle voice.

I sighed in relief. "Kei's too young to be in the army."

Granny Witch shook her head slowly, her wrinkled hands folded on her lap. "No, Sakura. You don't seem to understand. In a draft, young men don't get a choice. They'll set an age range-- usually it can be anywhere from ten to sixty. Even if Kei wasn't in age barrier, in desperate times, they will require one man from each household that has one."

I paled. "The...only man in our household is...!"

"Kei."

I whirled toward the window again, only to see Kei in the crowd of young men and women who stood there.

"Kei!" I cried, pushing the hanging mat away from the door and rushing to him.

He turned and smiled when he saw me. "Sis! Hey, do you know what's going on?"

I had to hide him, to do something. I had to keep him safe. Mother would just die of grief without Kei.

Mother hadn't really ever appreciated me. I was a reckless sort of daughter-- too feisty, not demure, and not afraid to get in a fight. I was skilled with a sword and in the martial arts, trying to take my father's place when Kei was too young to perform his duties. It was obvious that I was useless-- I could never land myself a husband, even if I tried. And naturally, that was what daughters were good for, right? To find themselves a husband who could support them and, later, the rest of the family. It was shameful that I could fight and that I knew medicines.

Mother had always loved Kei so much more. Now, there was a child that never brought her humiliation. He could plow fields, carry heavy things, and he was very good looking. He looked like his father, and now that he was twelve, almost thirteen, he could take over the duties of his father.

When I came home with dirt on my face, back from a fight that had won a bet, giving me money and a week's worth of bread, my mother would look away from me in distaste, murmuring how she wished I hadn't done that.

When Kei came home with dirt on his face, back from a fight that he had lost, my mother told him that he was brave, and that he'd win next time, and bring our family honor.

I had stopped getting jealous when I was fourteen and Kei was ten. Now that I was sixteen, I cared more about taking care of Kei. Because if I took care of Kei, I took care of my mother.

And now, if Kei was enlisted, my mother would be left with no one but me. It would be enough to kill her.

I gripped Kei's shoulders and tried to pull him away, but a soldier saw me. "You there! Wench!" he called. I bristled with anger, but remained silent.

"How old is this boy?" he asked me, his horse moving toward me.

"...Twelve," I answered. It was no use lying-- Kei couldn't pass for someone younger.

"Excellent. He is required to serve in the army," the soldier said, thrusting a scroll at me.

My jaw dropped. "He's just a child!" I cried.

I instantly received a blow to the face. "Do you think you can talk back to me?" demanded the soldier, his face contorted with rage.

Kei's hand was shaking in mine.

I finally lowered my head slightly in apology. "Forgive me," I murmured.

"Sign him up," grunted another soldier, jabbing his thumb at another soldier who sat on a tree stump, writing down names.

I walked over to the soldier on the tree stump, rubbing my cheek. "...Kei. Haruno Kei," I told him, my voice breaking.

He nodded. "He'll have to leave tomorrow," he told me, not even looking up.

I swallowed and took Kei home.

My mother dropped the bowl she was holding. Rice tumbled out, and she fell to her knees.

"Kei...Kei..." she sobbed. "...Kei..." She clutched her son close to her chest, and Kei attempted to comfort her, but to no avail.

I stared on, helpless. It was my fault. I should have gotten Kei away sooner.

I cursed quietly under my breath. It was my fault!

I looked at my brother, unsure of what to do. My eyes drifted toward my sobbing mother, broken by the loss of her precious son. If only it were her useless daughter going to war.

I jolted.

Wait.

My head jerked up and I stared at Kei.

I could still save him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
My mother and Kei had already fallen asleep. They were sleeping together on the mat, because this was her last night with her little boy. Or so she thought.

I went to the shrine in the back of our house, tiptoeing as quietly as I could, avoiding the loose floorboard on the stairs.

The shrine was for two people: my father and his sister, both dead. My father's armor was in a chest next to the shrine.

I knelt before the shrine, lit incense for my two loved ones and asked them to watch over me when I left. I asked them to bring good fortune to Kei and my mother, and to keep them from harm.

I went to the chest and pulled out the armor, stowing it into a reed bag that I quickly hid in the folds of my kimono. I also took my father's sword.

I went back into the bedroom of the house and looked in on my mother and brother. My mother had her skinny arms wrapped around my brother as tightly as she could. Something bitter welled up in my heart when I realized that I would never be held that way by her. It left a taste of resentment and intense sadness in my mouth, but I realized that while Kei had mother, once I had father.

My father, Kimihiro, and I were very close. He loved me, and never once thought it was bad when I got into fights or learned how to sue a sword. In fact, he praised me for being such a strong woman. It was my father who had named me "Sakura", for his favorite flower. My mother was Mizuki, and he told me one time that it was fate that he would marry her, because he met her under the beautiful moon-- just like my mother's name.

"Sakura," he said, "you'll meet the man you love under the cherry blossoms. I just know it. Just like I met your mother under the moon."

I soaked up every word he'd ever told me. He was something of a god to me; I didn't know anyone quite like him. He was also very radiant-- he shone like the sun. His hair was like gold, and his skin was so fair, and his eyes were light amber. He had the physical features of an angel-- he wasn't like a normal Japanese. There was no other like him.

Except my aunt-- his sister. My aunt was named Mayumi, and she was more skilled with a bow and arrow than anyone I'd ever known in my life, even though she was blind. She was so graceful and beautiful when she pulled the arrow back. Her faded blue eyes would narrow and focus on one spot that she could only see with her senses. Her upper lip would curl, as if she was almost snarling. I would hear a TWANG and the arrow was gone. I would look around quickly and see it quivering in its target, dead-on.

My aunt was strong and beautiful in an otherworldly way-- just like my father. She too had light hair and eyes, and skin that was like snow. Her beautiful blue eyes were covered with a misty film, making them look faded and distant. She was also tall and broad-- like a man. She contrasted so differently from my mother, who was small and dark, with black hair and deep brown eyes. After my father died in the fire when I was but nine, she took me under her wing and cared for me, making me the strong and capable woman that I was at sixteen.

But one day, my aunt was killed. She was with me collecting flowers from a field, and she was shot in the back of the neck with an arrow by a man in a tree. I ad screamed for my aunt to wake up, but she wouldn't move. I turned and looked, panicked, at the man in the tree, only to see that it was someone I knew.

His name was Shuchii, and he was my aunt's fiancé. All I could remember was that when I looked up at him, my eyes filled with tears, I could see that he too was crying.

I couldn't remember what had happened after that. I thought I had fainted, but a scar on my hip shows that another arrow grazed me, and I lost so much blood that I passed out.

My thoughts wandered back to the two sleeping figures in front of me, and I smiled at them. It could be the last time I ever saw them again. Who was I to think bad things? It didn't matter now.

I leaned over and kissed my brother's soft cheek, pushing the hair away from his eyes. I hugged my mother and rubbed her tense shoulder, wondering when she had gotten so small. For each of them, I left a lock of my hair, putting both on the bedside table next to them, along with a locket Father had given me many years before. It was my last memory of him, and I wanted them to have it.

With one last look at my family, I left and went to Granny Witch's house.

There was a candle lit in her window, and I knew she was still up, probably making medicine for the following day.

I pushed the reed mat door away and stepped inside.

Granny Witch sat at her table, her hands folded. There were leaves and rolls of rice paper in front of her, as well as her smashing bowl. I sniffed the air and smelled narcotics. It made my senses tingle.

"So," she said, turning her old body toward me. "I realized what you would do before you actually thought yourself to do it. But you've always been very readable to me."

"My father said I was predictable, too," I said, pulling the armor from my kimono. "Since you know what I'm going to do..."

"No," she said, reading my mind, "I still need to know what exactly you want done."

"I need you to make my hair brown, like Kei's," I told her, "and I need it to stop growing. I can't afford for the roots to grow out in my hair color and I don't want to have to continually cut my hair."

Granny Witch sat quietly, thinking, and then stood. "Are you sure about this?"

I nodded. She handed a knife to me, and with it, I cut my hair.

I felt like crying. I loved my hair-- it was important to me. My father told me once that my mother had said my hair was the best part about me.

I swallowed, steeled myself, and leveled it down until it was shaggy and sort of long, like Kei's. I refused to look at myself in the mirror that Granny Witch offered, instead setting it aside until the whole process was finished.

She handed me a few leaves, all different, a flower, and s plant that looked like a clove of garlic. "Grind these," she instructed, which I did. It made a sort of thick brown mud, and I knew that it would be for my hair.

"This is permanent," Granny Witch told me warningly. "You'll never be able to go back to that beautiful color you have now."

"Do it," I told her. She silently applied the concoction to my hair, starting at the roots and going to the ends. The process took a very long two hours.

Finally, it was over. Granny Witch's hands were stained with brown.

"Done," she said, heaving a long sigh. "Okay. Next-- eat this."

She handed me a powder-filled bowl.

"Eat it? With what?" I asked. "Can I have...bread?"

"No."

"...Okay." I shook the contents into my hand and quickly swallowed it. It was disgusting, and made my tongue go numb and my scalp throb.

"Oh, gross! What is this?" I demanded, gasping, wanting to spit it out.

"It's 'freezing' your hair so it won't grow any longer than it is now," explained Granny Witch. "You haven't felt anything yet."

"Yet?!"

"Just kidding. The worst is over." Granny Witch gave me a toothy grin.

I glared at her. "You're funny. You stupid hag."

She handed me the armor in response, still grinning. Then she got a little more serious, remembering something. "Oh! Wait. Before you put that on..."

She went over to a drawer in her cabinet and searched through it. Finally, she came across what she was looking for.

She brought it to me. "You'll need to bind you breast, child."

I groaned. I had forgotten about that.

"Right then. Take off your kimono," Granny Witch ordered, and I obeyed, loosening my clothes and stepping out of them. She came to me and started wrapping a bandage-like cloth around me.

"A bandage?" I questioned. "That could come off."

"No-- it is a vest, child. The bandage is just extra protection."

At that moment, she yanked hard, and I coughed, gasping for air. "Dammit!" I cursed, my hands flying to my breasts, which were smashed roughly against me. They hurt so much, I wanted to yell.

"Almost done. It'll be over soon, child."

"Not nearly soon enough! Dammit!"

She wrapped a much larger cloth around my chest, and I assumed his was the vest. She laced it shut. "I got this from the Continent," she informed me. "It cost me several thousand precious medicines."

The Continent. I had only heard of it, when I'd heard people speaking of the upcoming war with the Continent. I knew it by only one other name-- China.

I sucked in air, trying to get used to this strange feeling of being so confined. Kimonos were already uncomfortable enough, especially when my mother was presenting me to families, trying to find me a husband. She made my waist look even smaller than it already was.

Finally, the binding was over and I was ready to put on the armor. First were the loose black pants, then the black shirt that went with them. Then came the knee and thigh pads, the chest protector, and the shoulder and back protectors. They were heavy and hot, and I couldn't stand them. But they'd be my clothes, possibly to the day I died.

Granny Witch led me to a looking glass that hung on her wall.

I gasped in shock, staring.

Surely, that young man in the mirror was not I. He was...not me.

…But he _was_ me.

I finally strapped on my sword and turned to Granny Witch and told her, "...My name is Haruno Kei."

She gave me a sad smile. "It's a poverty that our village has to lose such a wonderful young woman."

"I'll be back," I told her. "I've gotta be around for Kei, right?"

She nodded. "...There's a horse in the stable that you can use. Go-- it's almost daybreak."

I hugged her, my arms wrapping around her small frame easily.

"You're just like your aunt," Granny Witch said.

"Thank you," I said, honored. I started to cry.

"You can no longer cry on the outside anymore, Sakura," Granny Witch told me gently. "You cannot let yourself give in to your vulnerability." Her eyes were getting misty too. "Good luck, child. I'll be thinking about you."

"You too, Granny," I said, giving her one last squeeze. And, looking back over my shoulder only once, I left her hut, my second home. There were fireflies illuminating it a little, like tiny stars floating around the house.

I ran to the stable and unleashed the horse, leaping onto its back and digging my heels in a little. "Let's get this over with," I muttered, giving the horse a gentle kick to get him going. He started walking.

I looked around the village. It was still asleep, and the sky was in the turning point of where the sun was going to rise soon, and the stars were at their very brightest.

I was going past my house now, and I looked in the window. Kei was sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes. I froze when he turned and looked at me.

Neither of us did anything. Both of our worlds were stopped at that moment. And that's when Kei's eyes widened, realizing what was going on.

He mouthed my name, and I dug my heels into the horse's side. It whinnied and started running. The wind blew through my now short hair, and tears ran down my cheeks. I vowed that they were the last ones I'd shed.

They were for my brother.

I heard our door burst open and his wail, but I only turned around and waved. My sadness was bursting at the seams now, and then my mother was standing at the door as well. They both stared at me, eyes wide and their mouths hanging open. Kei leapt forward, but she grabbed him, her eyes never straying from me. Our gazes locked.

I smiled. Maybe now, she would love me. Because I had just saved the person we both loved the most.

With that, I looked away and, like my aunt Mayumi, narrowed my eyes and focused on what was ahead.

The sun rose, but I could still see the fireflies.


	2. It's the Heat

Hi. I'm back, with a new update. :)

Okay, I got my first review on the very first day I posted this, which was not only shocking for me, it was also exciting. Because it is my very first review on Fanfiction. XD

Song-baka, thank you for your sweet review and in answer to your question-- it was subconsciously based on Mulan. Like, when I wrote the fic, I was thinking, "OMG, what a brilliant writer I am to think this up!" but then someone left a review saying, "Oh, it's just like Mulan!" and I was like, "Oh. That's where this came from..." Anyway, thank you for your review. It was very special, seeing as how it was the first one. ^-^

Now we have the entrance of Naruto and Izumi, and Sakura/Kei learns a lesson in how to stick up for herself a little more. Naruto becomes something of a mentor character as the story progresses. Please enjoy, and don't forget to click the pretty review button!!! XD

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**NARUTO**

The army camp was warm. It smelled like sweat and trees, creating, while it wasn't a horrible smell, a strange one.

I had nothing with me but my armor and a few changes of clothes in a bag that I had slung over my shoulder, along with my helmet and knives.

I wasn't exactly sure what to do-- I put my horse in the stable where everyone else's was, hoping that she wouldn't be stolen. I called her Tsukiyomi, because she was as white as the moon.

I walked around for a while, observing various tents-- there were some with soldiers laying out their belongings in them, some where people were getting food, and some where people were signing in.

I accidentally bumped into a rather small person, my arm hitting his shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, turning to look at him. He was a full head shorter than me, and looked up at me with startled green eyes. I couldn't help but stare-- those eyes were so...frightened.

Ah, a kindred spirit. Someone else who was as confused and distressed as I was.

"Hey," I said, "any idea of what we're supposed to be doing?"

He swallowed, then spoke. "No idea."

"Hey, you sound like a kid!" I exclaimed. "How old are you?"

"...Sixteen."

"Really!" I exclaimed. "I coulda passed you off for thirteen. What's your name, anyway?"

"Kei. Haruno Kei," he said cautiously, and I pumped his hand.

"Great! I'm Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto, but you can just call me Naruto!" I grinned. The poor guy looked kind of alarmed, but he was starting to smile, just a bit.

We started walking, looking around. Kei had nothing with him but the clothes he wore, his armor, and his katana.

"Nice katana," I said, and he looked momentarily confused. "Your sword," I said, pointing at it.

"...Oh. Thank you-- it belonged to my late father," he told me.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"There is nothing to apologize for." Kei gave me a kind sort of smile. "...He was beautifully fleeting, and the way he could wield a sword...a katana..was otherworldly. I aspire to be as good as he is."

"That's good!" I said. "I'm more of a hand-to-hand combat sort of person."

"I can do martial arts all right," Kei told me. He then pointed a finger at a tent. "I think people are getting tent assignments and signing in over there, Naruto."

I glanced at his wrist. It was so slender. I knew in that instant that this guy would be having trouble-- he was obviously not very strong. I just hoped he had speed and endurance to make up for it.

We went over to the tent and a young soldier looked up at us. "Names."

"Haruno Kei," mumbled Kei.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" I added in a triumphant voice, slapping my chest with my fist. Kei looked at me in alarm.

"Haruno..." the soldier said, checking off Kei's name when he found it. "Tent number 210."

Kei glanced at me and I could tell that he wasn't eager to be separated from his first acquaintance so quickly. I flashed him a quick smile to let him know he could stay, and I saw him relax.

"Uzumaki..." said the soldier, checking off my name as well. "You're in Tent 209."

I grinned at Kei and said, "Cool! How lucky is that?"

Kei looked visibly relieved. "It's fantastic," he said, breathing a sigh of relief.

I shouldered my bag and we left that tent, and started heading down the rows of tents that would serve as accommodations for the soldiers. It started with one-- that was the biggest tent, and I assumed it belonged to the captain.

Kei and I continued down the rows of white tents, all of which seemed to be endless. My excitement turned to surprise when I realized we were the last two tents in the whole camp.

"...Well, at least there's some privacy, no?" I said, gesturing at them and smiling. Kei threw me a look that reminded me of a glare my mother would give me sometimes. It said, "Not funny, Naruto."

"Kei, what do you expect? We're the infantry-- the foot soldiers doing grunt work," I said, shrugging.

Kei just shook his head. He was a quiet sort of guy, I noted, and I hoped that he would warm up a little, and soon. In the army, if you don't have friends, you only have enemies-- a lesson my elder brother taught me well.

I sighed. "Well-- let's check out your tent," I said, striding over to it and throwing open the untied door.

Someone looked out at me, much to my surprise.

"Whoa! Hey, Kei-- it's your tentmate!" I said, and Kei's forest green eyes went as wide as platters. Obviously, he was not thrilled with this arrangement.

I grabbed his wrist and said, "Don't be shy, Kei," while tugging him forward. Kei looked a little frantic, shaking his head back and forth quickly, his hair flopping in his eyes for just a second. He resisted my pulling, staying rooted to the spot.

The guy in the tent raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"He's shy," I told him, as if that would help anything, then turned back to Kei.

Finally, Kei pulled his tiny wrist from my grasp and took several steps backward, unable to gain his balance, before landing on his butt. "No!" he whispered frantically, "I don't wanna share a tent, Naruto!"

"You have to!" I said incredulously. "Why would you be an exception?"

To this, he had no answer, and instead bit his full lower lip. God, the way he did it-- I swear, it reminded me so much of my mother when she was nervous.

I huffed angrily, then walked forward and threw him over my shoulder. I was just shocked by how light he was, by how tiny his waist was, and by the way his leg felt-- it wasn't bulky like most boys' I knew. It was sort of soft and curved.

"Kei, you're as light as a girl!" I exclaimed. "Don't you eat enough?"

Kei seemed a little overwhelmed, letting out a tiny groan. "Nooooo…"

I went back to the tent and carried him inside, throwing him down on his bed, where he bounced once on his back. The two beds were pushed together, but the boy Kei was rooming with was sitting on the edge of the bed opposite.

The boy silently observed Kei, who shot up angrily and curled his lip in a snarl at me. I gave Kei a grin and winked.

"Kei, if you don't wanna get pushed around so easily, you've gotta get stronger-- physically and mentally. Well, maybe you're already there mentally. But whatever. Being a little more vocal helps too, you know." I waited, grinning at him expectantly.

Kei's face turned red, and he looked affronted. Finally, he yelled, "I HATE YOUR GUTS, NARUTO! YOU'RE SUCH A JERK! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN PICK ME UP AND THROW ME AROND LIKE A CHILD! DAMMIT, I _HATE_ THAT! I HATE THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING! YOU CAN'T PUSH ME AROUND, DAMMIT-- I'LL PUSH _YOU_ AROUND, YOU STUPID...STUPID...STUPID JERK!!"

"Very good," I laughed, applauding. "There-- just take that energy into training and you'll dominate. You'll be pushing me around in no time, I promise. Just think of me, the 'Stupid Jerk,' y'know?"

Finally, Kei exhaled and nodded. He turned his head and made contact with his tentmate, his eyes blazing golden, even though they were obviously green.

His tentmate blinked in surprise, his face changing for a brief second, then went back to normal. He stuck out his hand.

"Well," he said in a quiet, collected sort of voice, "now that you're through with your tantrum...it's nice to meet you."

Kei was staring with an expression I couldn't read on his face. Finally, he nodded, holding out his hand and shaking the other boy's.

The boy gave the faintest ghost of a smile and said, "Izumi. My name is Togu Izumi."

"...Haruno Kei," Kei said slowly, "but you already knew that."

Izumi nodded, looking mildly amused. He had kind eyes, but a serious face. "...I did, actually."

Kei looked visibly calmer-- perhaps relieved to have someone around who could keep his cool. But I glanced at his face again and what I saw almost made me confused.

I think Kei was blushing a little.

I mean, it could've been the overall affect of the shouting he'd done, or the anger he'd threw at me, or the fact that it was hot outside.

I brushed away the idea of him blushing and passed it off for the heat. I mean, it was the last few days of summer before it became fall, and that was when it was the hottest out, right? My face was probably red, too.

I decided to leave the tent, looking back over my shoulder once more. I stopped, stunned, and looked back again.

For a moment, in Kei's place, I had seen a girl.

But I realized that was utter nonsense. What the hell would a girl be doing here?

It's the heat, I told myself. It's the heat.


	3. Friends

Thanks for the sweet review, JUCHKO. It really made my day. ^-^ But, Kei (I mean, Sakura) doesn't know Izumi, but she feels calm around hm. He has a quiet, easygoing quality about him that makes her feel safe.

None of these characters are mine. Wait, lie. Izumi is mine.

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**SAKURA**

Dinner that night was something of a strange affair. I stood in line with several huge men, many of them in their late teens or early twenties, and waited for food. None of them were aware that I was the only one there who wasn't male.

It was the most disorienting feeling to know that none of them had a clue.

Not just disorienting...it was terrifying and elating. That secret was almost like having an advantage.

Even though it was a huge disadvantage.

I received my dinner-- rice with meat and teriyaki sauce. I also took a few carrots when they were offered, secretly wondering how long supplies would last. I saw Naruto waving at me, pointing to a spot next to him and I gratefully took it. He was sitting with several other young men about our age, all wearing the same armor I was. They were all foot soldiers in the infantry, too.

"Hey, guys, this is Kei," Naruto said, jabbing a thumb in my direction and shoveling some rice in his mouth with his chopsticks.

I smiled a little nervously, and a young man with a ponytail instantly corrected me.

"Hey-- you can't show nervousness around here," he told me pointedly, "or you'll be preyed on like you're a piece of meat in a cage full of rabid dogs."

I nodded, thankful for the advice. "...I'm just sort of shy," I said to him.

"Shy's all right, I guess," said the ponytail guy again. "It's harder to change that. I'm Shikamaru Nara, by the way." He shook my hand.

I gave him a smile, trying to put more confidence into it, and he winked, saying, "Better. Just practice."

"All right, why don't we all go around and say our names, y'know?" said Naruto, swallowing a piece of meat. "Introduce ourselves to Kei. Well, he knows me already..."

"Whatever, Naruto," said Shikamaru. He started saying names and pointing at each person as he said it.

"Choji, Kiba, Shino, Sai, Sasuke, and Rock Lee--"

"And I'm Izumi...hope you don't mind me taking a seat," said a voice behind me, and I looked up to see Izumi standing there. "I'm Kei's tentmate, and I didn't have anyone to sit with. Hope I'm not intruding."

"You are, but that's okay," said the one named Kiba good-naturedly. "Any friend of Kei's is a friend of ours too."

I felt my heart pound. I was already their friend! And I had only just met them! It was so nice of them; I almost felt myself choking up but I remembered my promise to myself that I wouldn't cry again.

Behind me, I heard the sound of someone retching, and I quickly turned my head to see if I was just hearing things. I wasn't-- a young man was vomiting and was being led away by another soldier.

I looked at my food, suddenly a bit less interested. I noticed Sai looking at me. He told me, "A lot of people get sick the first few days here. A lot aren't professional soldiers, so they're not exposed to a lot of the sicknesses that can be passed around that most people have a natural vaccine against. I wouldn't be surprised if you got sick-- you look kind of frailer than most, no offense. But expect a lot of men getting sick these next few days..."

"We've all gotten sick on our first days," Lee told me. "Sasuke was awful, though-- he was so sick they had to isolate him."

I glanced at Sasuke, the boy sitting next to Naruto. He was staring at something, and glancing around at all the other guys. I followed his gaze and saw that there was a small plate in the middle of the table with one piece of juicy-looking meat left.

I was still hungry, and I'd eaten all my meat and I thought I could take a chance, so I reached out for it with my chopsticks, but all of the sudden, there was a huge scuffle.

All the guys except Izumi, Shino and Sai dove their chopsticks toward it and started fighting over it madly.

I instantly yanked my chopsticks out for fear of getting completely pulverized. I happened to glance down at my plate, but did a double take when I saw three pieces of meat there, all three even better than the one the guys were fighting over.

Surprised, because I knew they hadn't been there earlier, I looked around to see who might've given it to me.

Izumi sat there, calmly eating his rice. There was no meat left in his bowl, though I knew I'd seen some before. Three pieces, actually. I felt a small smile creep up my face. So he was a nice guy past the quiet exterior.

"YES!" There was a triumphant cry as Sasuke popped the piece of meat into his mouth and all the other guys grumbled.

Naruto looked bitter. "Jerk," he said to Sasuke.

"Moron," Sasuke said back, looking smug.

"Idiot."

"Loser."

"Asshole!"

"Fatso!"

"Teme!" Naruto cried, to which I raise my eyebrows. All this over a piece of meat?

"DOBE!" Sasuke yelled, and all of the sudden, they both froze, staring at each other.

Naruto's eyes went wide, and his cheeks puffed out as he tried to hold in his laughter, and Sasuke covered his mouth, trying to conceal the smile. Suddenly, though, they both burst out, shaking with laughter and squeezing their eyes shut.

I blinked in surprise. I'd had very little contact with boys other than my brother and the boys I beat with martial arts when I was younger, so their ways and the manner in which they acted were new to me.

The only thing I could really gather was that they were as unpredictable as women.

Izumi and I walked with Naruto and Sasuke back to our tents at the very end of the encampment, still hungry. I knew that I would probably be hungry the whole time I was there. It wasn't like I wasn't used to being hungry, though-- sometimes at home things got bad, and that was just another thing you had to take in stride-- it became a part of life.

As we walked back, I realized that I wasn't feeling well-- and that I felt ready to get sick. I was a little dizzy, and I thought that this was what Sai meant when he said that a lot of people got sick on their first few days in the camp.

Instinctively, I grabbed Izumi's arm to gain my balance, and he glanced at me.

"...You okay?" he asked me, a little concerned.

"I...think I might be sick," I said quietly.

"...Just hold it till we get to the tent. I'll help you get into bed if you need," he said softly, and I was touched by his kindness. I felt myself smile, but knew Izumi couldn't see it in the dark.

Sasuke and Naruto arrived at their tent first and said good night to us, telling us, "See you tomorrow. We don't start training yet, luckily-- people will still be arriving tomorrow. Hey, we should get together and explore the area!"

Izumi nodded. "Sounds good," he said, and I felt myself sway. Izumi reached out and grabbed my shoulder.

"Later!" Naruto and Sasuke said, going in their tent. At that moment, I collapsed, feeling as if I was completely unable to hold my weight up. Izumi reached out his arms and caught me, my head landing on his shoulder.

"Easy now," he said, keeping his cool pretty well, but there was definitely a nervousness there. I didn't blame him-- I would be unsure of what to do, too.

He led me back to the tent and took my armor off, then helped me into bed.  
I was still wearing the shirt and pants that went underneath the armor, but they were drenched in sweat.

"I'll go get a doctor," said Izumi, but I reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Don't!" I said desperately. "Don't, please..."

And then my world went dark.


	4. The Lion and the Lamb

Hey, thanks for the nice reviews, everyone. ^-^ I just wanted to mention something. The unofficial theme song for this whole fic is "To the Stars" by Randy Edelman, which is one of the most beautiful songs in the world. I can almost guarentee that you've heard it, because it's one of those songs that everyone hears but never really knows the name of. It's in movie trailers all the time.

Speaking of which, I'm curious-- what are your top favorite movie soundtracks?

I know you probably don't care, but here are mine:

1. Howard Shore's _Lord of the Rings_

2. Randy Edelman's _Dragonheart _and _Last of the Mohicans  
_

3. Hans Zimmer's _The Lion King, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down _and _The Prince of Egypt  
_

4. Danny Elfman's _Spiderman__  
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5. Klaus Badelt's _Pirates of the Caribbean_

6. James Newton Howard's _Peter Pan  
_

7. Trevor Rabin's _National Treasure_

8. John William's _Schindler's List, Jurassic Park _and _Star Wars_

9. Clint Mansell's _Requiem for a Dream_

10. James Horner's _Titanic_

Yeah, that's about all I can think of right now. What are your favorites? Just curious. Yuki Kajiura has some great stuff too.

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**IZUMI**

"Don't," he said, his fever-warmed hand taking me by the forearm. "Don't, please."

His voice also held on, as if possessing fingernails. It pressed into my flesh, that pleading voice suffocating me. It was then that Kei's eyes shut, and I knew he was slipping. He was sick, I could tell that much. I didn't know if it was a sickness he'd caught from one of the other soldiers or if it was just nerves.

"Kei!" Loud.

"Please." Soft. He was still talking.

If anyone had walked in at that moment, they would have witnessed Kei's gripping fingers and his desperate face. Both held onto my arm.

Finally, in that tense, frightened silence, his fingers loosened and slid down my arm, and I reached over, brushing the hair from his face. I didn't know what to do-- I was at a loss. How do you help someone burning with a fever?

I guess the only thing I could do was free him of his clothes, perhaps-- that would be cooler on his skin. Acting quickly, I undid the ties on his shirt and pulled it off.

And stopped.

Kei's chest was heaving. Wrapped around it were bandages. Binding his...

No. Binding _her_ chest.

Stunned, my fingers shaking, I pulled the shirt back over her, embarrassed and ashamed. But mostly shocked.

Kei's eyes flew open suddenly, and he-- no, she-- gasped for air. "Agh," she said, coughing. "Hot...it's hot."

"...That's typically how a fever makes you feel," I said, surprised that my tone was relatively normal.

She was panting. "Water. Izumi..."

I looked around, then decided just to use my canteen of water I had filled earlier. I brought it over to her, and helped her sit up. I put my arm around her shoulders to support her, and held the canteen to her mouth.

She drank like someone dying of thirst, and I just tried to hold her steady. She was shaking. I knew how she felt-- fevers were the worst, and in my village, there was rarely enough medicine to go around.

Kei finally sighed in relief and mumbled, "Thank you, Izumi."

I gave her shoulder a squeeze, unthinkingly, and I think that's when I really noticed her.

What I had passed off before as weakness or slightness of frame, I now realized was just delicacy. Her features, what I had just thought of as dainty and soft, I now saw were beautiful, even though she was passing herself as a boy fairly well.

If I hadn't realized it before, I realized it now. It was a shock not unlike thinking you've reached the bottom step only to miss it and having your foot hurtle through air before landing.

She was a girl.

She was feeling better the next day. She shook my shoulder to wake me, though, early in the morning before the sun had even risen, and asked for water again. I sat up and, like I had the day before, poured it into her mouth. Today, though, her face was visibly less red, and she just looked tired.

I felt her forehead. "Your fever broke, Kei," I said, feeling relieved. She was a sweet girl, and obviously she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself here. I couldn't really understand the sentiment, but I imagined that it was disorienting to be a girl in a world she never knew, and shouldn't know.

She nodded, but it seemed burdensome for her to even keep her head up. So I told her, "Rest for a little while, Kei."

Kei nodded, her eyes tired and sad and I lay her back down. I crawled over to my cot, sort of liking the convenience of each of the beds being pushed together, and then I stopped.

I had just spent an entire night sleeping next to a defenseless girl.

Ah, the idea of it mortified me to no end. I had always been taught to be a gentleman, to not be unnecessarily unfair to anyone, including women. I had just gone against an unspoken code of conduct for myself by doing that.

_She needed my help, though_, I tried reasoning with myself. _She didn't have anyone else. And doesn't sleeping next to someone who doesn't have a fever make your own go away? But that's an old wives' tale, and I was on my end of the bed and she on hers! Dammit, Izumi, stop thinking so hard about this! Nothing happened, and nothing will.  
_

But I made the fatal mistake of looking over at her. She was lying on her side, sleeping. It was sweet. I felt an almost brotherly affection for her.

I quickly looked away, my face red. "Stoppit!" I commanded myself, embarrassed. Dammit. Why did I, of all people, have to get placed in a tent with a girl, who would be sleeping with me every night, unaware of the fact that I knew she was a girl?!

That's when I realized: it was probably because she would be safe with me. Because I was a gentleman. And if it had been someone else who and found out about her secret, she'd have been completely broken by now by some other man. And I refused to be that man who would do that. I would have to keep her safe.

But...didn't keeping her safe mean sending her home?

At that moment, she murmured, "...I miss you...Kei..."

I blinked in surprise, looking over at her.

Ah, now I got it. Kei was a boyfriend or a brother or even a husband. And she went to war to take his place. It was the only reasonable explanation.

Then I realized something else: if I had her sent home, that person she was protecting might get sent instead. As her replacement.

All the same, she'd be safest if she was at home. But wait-- how could I get her home without revealing that she was a girl? The only way would be to injure her, and I couldn't do that! It made me sick at the thought of having to hurt a girl.

But if she was found out...she'd be ravished and killed, no doubt. Such was the fate of girls-- and I couldn't change that. They were thought of as animals to those of us who weren't taught otherwise, a thought that made me feel ill.

I sighed and lay back down, disgruntled and a little angry. I couldn't believe I was stuck with this problem-- stuck protecting her. When I enlisted in the army, I hadn't wished to be a babysitter. Am I my roommate's keeper?

But I didn't _have_ to protect her, did I? I could just let her do things her own way. It would probably be better for the both of us.

But...I just couldn't get her out of my mind. She was a lamb that had bravely ventured into the lion's den, wearing a fake mane and struggling to get by. And there was only one odd lion that would figure out the lamb's secret and wouldn't devour it.

And that lion was me.

I rolled over to look at her sleeping face. "I guess I have no choice in the matter," I whispered inaudibly, and brushed some hair away from her face. She smiled in her sleep, and I wondered if she was thinking about Kei.

Not that I cared.


	5. Refusal

Again, thank you for reading!! Please don't forget to click the pretty review button. It means a lot to me. ^-^ If any of you were wondering where the tough, kickass Sakura from the first chapter went, here she is.

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**SAKURA**

The morning after I collapsed from sickness, I sat up in bed to find that Izumi wasn't there.

Surprised, I glanced around the tent, looking for him, but there was no sign of him. I got up-- albeit rather shakily-- and went to the tent flap, pushing it open.

The camp was already alive, buzzing with activity. There were still people pouring in to join our ranks, I noticed. I wondered how we were possibly going to house them all...

"They're not all staying here, if that's what you're wondering," said a voice beside me, making me jump. It was Sasuke Uchiha, one of the men I'd met yesterday.

"...Really? Then why--" I began, but coughed.

Sasuke glanced over at me. "Well, this is what you could call a checkpoint. There's another camp a few miles away from here. They'll stop here to sign in or whatever, and take a rest. Then they'll head off to wherever they're supposed to go, and that's when training will begin."

"What's training like, Sasuke?" I asked him, knowing he'd gone through the army training before, as had many of the men here.

"If I cold pick one word to describe it, it would be...challenging? Or rigid."

I felt the blood leave my face. Ugh.

Well, you should've known, Sakura! I scolded myself angrily. "So...training starts tomorrow?"

Sasuke nodded, then looked over at me. "Kei-- you wanna go get some breakfast?"

Though the idea of food made me a little queasy, I nodded, thinking that some food in my stomach might do me good. I went back in the tent briefly and strapped my katana on my belt, but I was just wearing the loose relaxation clothes, not my armor. I liked having the katana with me-- it reminded me of my father.

I stepped outside into the warm air. It had a peculiar scent-- I could smell leaves and grass and pines and...water?

"Do you smell water?" I asked, falling in step with Sasuke. He sniffed, then nodded.

"I bet there's a stream nearby," he said.

I looked around, amazed at all the things going on around us. Some people were sharpening weapons or feeding horses, and some were just lounging about, waiting for the day to go by. Naruto, Kiba, and Shikamaru were participating in that particular event.

"Oh, hey, Sasuke. Kei, how're you feeling? Izumi said you got sick," said Kiba.

I said, not entirely honest, "I'm feeling better, thank you."

"You're always so polite," said Naruto randomly. "It makes me feel like a rude, stuck-up jerk."

"You are a rude, stuck-up jerk," said Shikamaru lazily, a piece of grass between his hands, trying to whistle with it.

"No, that's Sasuke!" Naruto cried, sitting up.

"I'm what?!" Sasuke flared. "Shut up, you stupid dobe!"

Izumi came over then, followed by Shino and Neji. "What's all the racket?"

"Izumi!" Naruto fake-sobbed. "Shikamaru's being a jerk!"

"Shut up, would you?" said Shikamaru dryly.

Izumi turned to me. "...And how are you feeling?"

I gave him a small smile. "...Better, thank you."

He looked relieved, and his smile was kind. I hadn't noticed Izumi really, until I got to see him in this light. Before I'd sort of seen him as aloof and quiet, but now he was thoughtful, yet somewhat serious. His hair was a nice shade of dark brown, like black, and he had trustworthy blue eyes. He was much taller than me, easily a foot-- but I was short. He was actually rather handsome, with broad shoulders but a lean figure.

I looked away then. I was a man now. Men didn't think like that.

I felt small, tiny, next to him, and ridiculously plain. I glanced over at one of the tents nearby that had a looking glass hanging from it. I saw myself, standing next to Izumi and only reaching his biceps with my height. I frowned. I hadn't realized I was so small...

I drove the thoughts from my mind because I had heard my name.

"...So I was thinking that we could go there, if Kei feels up to it," said Naruto, and I snapped to attention.

"What?" I asked dumbly, and Naruto laughed.

"Pay attention, Kei!" he scolded me. "Don't go zoning out, y'know?"

"Sorry," I apologized, "it won't happen again."

"So I was thinking, we could go to that stream nearby? Sasuke mentioned it. It's the last hot days of summer-- I say we go swimming!"

I felt my stomach drop. Swimming?! Ack-- no way! I couldn't possibly.

I felt my face go pale and I opened my mouth to protest, but Naruto said, "Well, that settles it. Let's go!"

Everyone started walking away, but I stayed rooted to the spot as if I'd been nailed there. Izumi glanced back at me, and for a second, I thought I saw something like realization flash across his face.

But he just said, "You don't have to come if you don't want to, Kei," in a gentle voice. Like he understood my predicament.

My chest felt warm. He was really kind. I was a bit surprised-- I should've known, by the way he'd treated me the night before. He was surprisingly gentle.

"...I'll pass, thank you," I said, and I saw him pause.

Finally, he walked toward me. "...Then I'm passing up, too," he said, and I felt the urge to beam at him, but I didn't, just said, "Thanks."

"Are you hungry, Kei?" he said after a moment. "I could get you some food."

I almost said yes, but realized that I would have to be a little more capable if I was going to last long while I was here. "No, thank you," I said, politely declining, "I'll get some myself. You can wait here if you like."

He nodded and took a seat on the ground by a large stone, leaning up against it. I fought my desire to drag him along, saying, "Please! I need support!"

I went over to the tent where food was being served and waited in the line that expanded a few meters out from it. I felt a little nervous to see that all the people in front of me were huge, muscular men-- and that I was minuscule compared to them.

The line moved slowly, but I was finally almost to the front. Some men came up behind me and one of the shoved my shoulder a little. "Hey, shrimp," he said. "You wanna let me in front of you?"

I swallowed, looking over my shoulder at him. He was another enormous man, his head shaven, standing with two other men. Their arms were folded and they stared down at me. I felt my eyes widen against my will. He had obviously made his way up this far by forcing his way through, and now he had reached me.

"Well?" he asked me menacingly.

I shook my head. "No. This is my spot."

He slammed his hand into my shoulder again, and I fought to keep my balance. I gasped quietly under my breath, gritting my teeth.

"What's your answer now?" he asked me, and I noticed a scar stretching from his temple to his jaw.

If I were a dog, my hackles would've been raised. I would not be dominated.

"No," I repeated firmly. "You came after me-- I'm not gonna let you take my spot!"

He glared down at me. "Insolent little pup!" He smashed his hand over my head and I felt dizzy, but now, I was pissed.

I hissed angrily, quickly positioning myself in a defensive or offensive position that I often used in my fights. No matter how big my opponent, this stance could easily allow me to protect myself or strike out at my enemy, without having to change position.

This startled him a little-- I could tell he was not expecting that I'd stand up to him, being as small as I was.

Finally, he cracked his muscles. "You wanna take this somewhere else?" he asked me.

"No, not really," I snarled, "because I'm next to get my food, and I don't really see the point in wasting my time on a moron like yourself."

His face turned red and he smacked me across the face. "You damn brat!" he said angrily, and I snapped back into my fighting position, even though I was pissed and my cheek was stinging.

"Kei?" came a voice from a little ways off, and I saw Izumi standing a little ways away from us. He brow furrowed and he looked mad, but I was angry too. I didn't want my pride tarnished like this.

"Back off, Izumi," I growled. "Stay out of this."

"Kei, you're just a--" he cut off before I could find out what he was going to say, and just said, "You can't do this!"

Now that made me even angrier. "You don't think I can?!" I demanded furiously, and now I saw people staring at me. Maybe I was on the verge of a tantrum-- not that I cared at the moment.

I unsheathed my katana unthinkingly and pointed it at the bald man. "I know I said you're not worth it, asshole, but I'm not afraid to use this," I said, sneering.

The man put is hands on his hips and said, "You'll get it good tomorrow, brat."

With that, he fell silent and ignored me.

Fuming inside but putting out a cool exterior, I turned away from him and got my food.

I walked back to Izumi, still holding my aloof, proud barrier around me up, and he walked silently next to me, boiling with fury but not saying anything. Finally, when we were far enough away from the site of my little tantrum, I breathed a sigh of relief and let down my defenses. "Woo! That was scary!"

"You are such a moron, Kei! A complete, utter IDIOT!" Izumi exploded, smacking me upside the head.

"Ow!" I complained, rubbing the back of my head. "That hurt!"

"It would've hurt a lot more if you had done something rash-- no, if had done something even MORE rash than you had just done!" Izumi nearly shouted. "Do you know who that was?!"

"Another soldier, right? I wasn't gonna let him--"

"NO! That wasn't another soldier, that was the man they call Meido!"

"Meido? You mean they call him Hell?!" I demanded, feeling nervous.

"BECAUSE THAT MAN, KEI, IS THE ONE WHO WLL BE PUTTING US THROUGH TRAINING! And boy, he's really gonna give you hell tomorrow! I hope you live!"

My stomach dropped. The man that I'd insulted and threatened was the trainer.

Dammit.

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Cick the pretty review button!!!**  
**


	6. Punishment

Yeah, I kinda wanted to make this one of those "adrenaline rush" chapters, where you feel, like, a rush of pride and excitement for the character. Did I succeed? Please leave feedback, it means so much to me. I get messages in my inbox saying, "_______ has added 'Firefly Tears' to their favorites" but no review comes with it. T-T Throw me a bone; leave a review if you like the story. It encourages me to go on.

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NARUTO

The day of training arrived, and Haruno Kei looked as if he was about to suffer a death sentence.

"Kei," I said, as we stood in line, waiting for the trainer, Meido. "What are you getting so worked up about? It's not like Meido is specifically gonna pick you from the crowd of people and make you his punching bag..."

Kei went pale just thinking about it.

I wondered then if he really was gonna get picked and made into a punching bag.

At that moment, Meido stalked into the clearing, his bald head shining in the sun. It was round like an egg, but tan, a sight that always unnerved me, even though I saw it often. I'd already been in the army a year.

Meido stood in front of all of us and we stood at attention. "Well," said Meido loudly, "being the kind of person I am, I gave several people a quiz yesterday. I stood in the food line and told the people in front of me to let me go in front of them."

I heard a small noise escape Kei's throat, and then I figured it out.

"Everyone except for one passed the quiz," he said, and I almost reached my arm out to steady Kei, but decided to save my skin instead.

"Those who passed the quiz knew who they were talking to and submitted to higher authority," Meido said, sauntering over toward Kei. "And you who didn't," he added, glaring in Kei's direction, "was the one who stood against me and even threatened me with their katana, which you probably are even too weak to use."

A stunned whisper ran through the crowd of men, shocked at Kei's audacity. I had to admit, I was one of those people gasping.

"Kei, you're in for it now," I hissed in his direction. He nodded.

"So," Meido said to Kei, "soldier-- what's your name?"

Kei inhaled, and I saw the look in his face change. It looked like it was hardening, steeling himself for what was to come.

"My name is Kei," he said, "Haruno Kei, sir, and I think I should've been the only one to have passed your test. Sir."

Meido's eyebrows shot up, as did everyone else's. My jaw dropped and I didn't bother with being inconspicuous anymore; I turned my head and full on stared at Kei in shock.

"Really," said Meido, sounding amused and furious at the same time, even though his tone was mellow. It was that kind of nice, friendly tone that sent shivers down your spine, because you knew it was completely fake. "And why, Haruno Kei, do you think that?"

Kei swallowed, but otherwise showed no sign of fear, just looking Meido straight in the beady eyes. "Because I was the only one brave enough to stand up to you, sir, and a soldier needs bravery more than anything else. Sir."

I could not believe Kei's blatant boldness. Or was it stupidity? I tried to send signals at him to just shut up and beg for forgiveness, but Meido was livid now.

"Really, Haruno?" Meido said, his tone cracking a bit and some of the rage seeping through that kindly front. "Let's see how brave you are now. Get out here!"

Kei clenched his fists and, touching the hilt of his katana once, stepped out before the silent, staring troops.

I prayed to God that Meido didn't kill him.

"Now, Haruno," Meido said, an unpleasant sort of grin spreading across his face that made me feel like a brick was sliding down my throat and into my stomach, where it dropped it to my knees. "I want you to take off your belt that hold your katana and lay it on the ground nearby. Or, even better, Uzumaki, hold it for him."

I inhaled sharply, fearing for Kei. Kei undid his belt that held his katana and turned to me. There was no fear in his leaf green eyes, but I could tell that he was sure he was not going to be able to stand by the end of this. He tossed his belt and katana to me and flashed me a quick grin before Meido suddenly slammed his fist into Kei's jaw.

Kei was sent flying through the air, and I cried out. I wasn't the only one-- Izumi gasped in rage and leapt forward, only to be held back by Sasuke. I looked over at him in surprise, as I had not expected this blatantly furious reaction from him.

"That wasn't fair!" Izumi shouted, pointing a finger at Meido, and then at Kei, who had just tumbled across the ground, pushing himself up on his elbows, spitting blood from his mouth. "You can't--"

"IZUMI, SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" cried Kei in a shaky but strong voice. "JUST SHUT THE HELL UP! THIS IS MY FIGHT! BACK OFF!"

Izumi gritted his teeth in fury and tensed, but one glare from Kei silenced him and everyone else.

Kei's green eyes were burning gold again, like they were that time before when I'd angered him. It was an inexplicable thing, and I wasn't sure that anyone but I could see the driving force blazing within him.

What was it he had said then? That he hated it when people pushed him around-- that he refused to be.

I clenched my fists and said quietly, "Come on, Haruno Kei. You don't like to be pushed around!"

It was almost as if he heard me, because he made eye contact with me, allowing me the tiniest of smug, confident smiles before he stood up.

Meido thumped him in the stomach and Kei staggered backward, doubling over once, but his head jerked up, glaring relentlessly at Meido, whose lip curled in anger.

"What's that look for, Haruno? Huh? You got something you want to say to me?" Meido demanded, pushing him backward and stomping on his ribs. I could've sworn I heard something crack, but I might've been hyperaware, just waiting for Kei's slender body to snap in two.

Kei panted, huffing, blood spilling from his mouth. He coughed it up, spitting it and wiping his lips with the back of his hand. He stood, holding onto his arm, and looked up at Meido with that piercing, unwavering gaze. He grinned almost devilishly at him, and I gasped at his nerve.

"I do have something to say, actually," he said, loud enough so everyone could hear him.

I waited, biting my lip, terrified.

Kei's lip curled. "Is that the best you've got?"

If I was shocked before, it was nothing like how I felt now. It just blew my mind.

Apparently, it had stunned everyone else, too. Kei must've had a death wish or something. Nobody would say that to Meido and live to tell about it.

Meido's eyes widened. "You know, in all my time as Trainer Captain, no one has ever said that to me. You're probably the first to be so stupid as to actually tell me that. I almost admire that, Haruno Kei. Almost."

Kei stood up straight, his legs starting to quiver ever so slightly, but he ignored it. "That hurt, Meido. But you hurt my pride a lot more."

"Really? Oh, I'm sorry," Meido sneered, stalking up to Kei and lifting him up by the collar. Kei's feet dangled at least a yard off the ground. I glanced over at Izumi, whose eyes were huge, and looked back in time to see Kei being thrown into a tree trunk.

Kei cried out for the first time, his body curling up. I stood rooted to the spot, even though my mind told my body to run to Kei and scoop him up before Meido killed him. I heard Izumi's quiet noise of rage and saw his shaking hands and thoroughly agreed with him. This was going way too far.

"Meido, sir," I said, and he turned and glared at me.

"Do you want to be next, Uzumaki?" demanded Meido. "Do you want to be humiliated and disgraced the same way he is?"

I looked over at Kei, who was pushing himself up yet again, his eyes slightly unfocused, his breathing hard. I would've been crying by this point, but the only thing that poured down his cheeks was sweat.

Honestly-- I found nothing humiliating or disgraceful about it.

I don't think I could've admired anyone more right now. Kei just kept standing.

Meido followed my gaze and saw Kei standing there, panting, looking up at him, waiting for the next blow.

A voice from the middle of our crowd of soldiers called out, "There's nothing shameful or degrading about Kei-- we couldn't respect him more!"

"Who said that?" roared Meido furiously, his teeth clenched in anger, his beady brown eyes searching the crowd. "WHO SAID THAT?"

Dead silence.

Meido stalked over to the waiting Kei and lifted him again, one hand holding him up, the other hand clenched into a fist, punching him repeatedly. Kei just took punch after punch, and I wondered what was going through his head right now. What the hell was he thinking, instigating all this punishment? He was just making this harder on himself!

Finally, Meido threw Kei to the ground, where he lay, motionless.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you," Meido said, loud enough for all of us to hear.

He started to walk away, but a voice stopped him.

"Meido."

All of us froze, including Meido, whose eyes went huge. I gasped.

Kei pushed himself onto his knees, crouching over, panting. He stood up slowly, swaying, but standing his ground.

Kei exhaled heavily, and his head jerked up, showing his glowing golden green eyes. He pointed at Meido and said, "You are a coward. Sir."

It was like everyone's jaws broke, the way they were hanging open. Meido looked dumbfounded, and I wondered if this was the first time this had ever happened to him. I had never seen anything like this in my life. I felt a swell of pride for the idiotically brave Kei.

"You came at me in underhanded ways, sir, and never gave me a chance to fight back. You purposely chose a way of fighting that you knew I would have a disadvantage at," Kei said, panting a little. "It wasn't fair, but I didn't stop you. Now here you are, getting off without even a scratch, and I'm coughing up blood. But if you think I'm through, sir, then you're a moron."

Meido was speechless, his jaw slack, his eyes as big as saucers. He stammered something unintelligible, but Kei interrupted him fiercely.

"Meido-- shut up."

I was so surprised I could've fell over. I fought the urge to laugh, even though there was nothing funny whatsoever about this situation.

Kei's eyes flashed toward me. "Naruto-- my katana, please. And would someone else be willing to let him use their own katana so that I can prove myself?"

There was dead silence and no one moved, but after a short moment, almost everyone unhooked their katanas and held them out.

I handed Kei his katana and gave him a warning look. "I hope you know what you're doing," I said.

He just grinned at me, walking forward and taking a katana from a soldier I didn't know. He tossed it at Meido, who caught it deftly, much to my distaste. I was rather hoping that he'd fumble with it and drop it and embarrass himself.

"Meido, sir," said Kei, unsheathing his katana and pointing it at him. He positioned himself in a way that I recognized something as a stance only professional, elite swordsmen took. "I assume you know how to wield a sword?"

Meido's face turned beet red. "Of course I do!" he shouted angrily.

"Really? Okay. All the same, I'll go easy on you, all right? I wouldn't want to hurt you," Kei said, his words easy but his tone serious at the same time.

My eyes widened. I was terrified and eager to see what would happen next.

"Now, Meido, sir," said Kei, and for a second, he tilted his chin in a mocking way that struck me, only for a second, as feminine. "Since I was completely unprepared when you started beating me, I'll give you as much time as you need to prepare. Tell me when you're ready, all right?"

"I'm ready!" Meido shouted furiously, and all of the sudden fell into a stunned silence as Kei's sword was at his throat.

There was a murmur of surprise. Kei had been standing a few yards away from meido-- how had he reached him that quickly?

"Meido, sir, are you sure that you were ready?" Kei asked, his tone mimicking that sickly sweet poison that Meido's had taken earlier, only his voice was so deadly that it made me pale. It was hidden under that veil of simpering sweetness and concern, but there was a certain smug venom that could not be disguised.

Meido took a stumbling step backward. "What...!"

"Okay, let's try something a little different. Please, Meido, sir, come at me with the katana," Kei offered.

Meido didn't move.

Kei's tone was almost teasing. "Oh, come on, are you gonna pass up a chance to get a head start on me, Meido, sir?"

Meido's face contorted and he rushed forward and swung his sword at Kei.

Or at least where Kei had been standing.

Meido felt the cold, sharp tip of the blade at the base of his neck and he straightened slowly. Kei stood behind him, perfectly expressionless.

"You wanna try that again, Meido?" he said quietly, seemingly without malice.

Meido suddenly swung around and whirled the katana, but Kei leapt up, still keeping that blasé look on his face, and avoided the sword completely. Meido struggled for a second, the force of the moving sword jerking him, but all of the sudden, everything stopped, and I gasped in shock.

Kei's blade was in the ground, and he was balancing on it, his hands grasping the hilt, one leg curled gracefully under him, the other swung up around, perfectly straight, his foot only a hair's breadth away from Meido's face.

I was amazed. He had such agility and control. It was...breathtaking.

Kei finally spoke, breaking the silence, his tone calm and even. "...Meido, sir, are you through? I am if you are."

Meido's eyes were enormous. I felt myself smiling. Meido had been throughly outclassed.

I loved it.

Meido took a step away from the boy balancing on the hilt of his katana, whose green eyes followed him silently but screaming at him. Kei remained, perfectly stable in the same position as before.

Meido didn't accept defeat the way a normal person would. He just attempted to push Kei out of that position. Kei, in response, used his hands to propel himself agilely away from harm, doing a flip and at the same time, grabbing his katana. He snapped back into position and pointed the sword at Meido, calm.

Meido's face fell, and he really knew then that he had been one-upped. I fought the urge to whoop.

Kei backed slowly into his place in the ranks, standing at attention, staring straight ahead, ignoring the streak of blood that was dripping from the side of his mouth.

"…I'm impressed," said Meido finally. "...You pass."

"Excellent," said Kei, smiling, and then fell over in exhaustion.

But he didn't hit the ground, because every pair of arms that could reached out for him and caught him to show our utmost respect.


	7. Breathing Beautifully

Heeheehee, Izumi's developing a crush on Kei. ^-^ You guys are really different from my TONFA reviewers...hmm. I don't know...

Well, please review; it means more to me than I can say. Hell, it'll take a minute of your time to give me a good review, so throw me a bone, yeah? It keeps me motivated.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

IZUMI

That night at dinner, Kei was getting stares of disbelief and awe, and she didn't enjoy one minute of it.

"I mean," she said, completely transformed back to her usual shy and uncertain self, "I just did what I thought was right."

Every time I looked at her, I would see her cheekbones blue with bruises, and when she thought no one was looking, she'd wrap an arm around her ribs and clench her teeth in pain. She'd only do this for a second, then get back to the conversation.

I felt awful. Not once that whole time, while that girl was getting ripped to shreds, did I stop Meido. It made me furious with myself and, more than anything, ashamed. She had stood there, constantly standing, waiting patiently for her next beating, knowing the whole time that she was treated unfairly, and also knowing that she probably wouldn't get the chance to show her skills with a katana.

And she didn't shed a single tear.

I also felt bad for the way I'd treated her the day before- gotten mad at her when she stood up to Meido. She didn't know any better, and I'm sure she was exercising a very freeing new right. As a boy, she would no longer have to be soft or demure, and could be free to speak to other men as equals.

I watched her out of the corner of my eye and wondered what it felt like to be at the low standard as women were set at. She was so strong, and at the same time, so soft. I almost smiled as I tried to imagine a person with her spirit ever bending or submitting to the conforms of society.

She looked up at me and seemed almost surprised that I was watching her. "Izumi, I'm sorry," she said, her face and tone apologetic.

Now it was my turn to be surprised. "For what?"

"I made you worry, didn't I?" she said, lowering her head in a guilty way, and I felt my face explode with heat. She was absolutely right- she had terrified the hell out of me, being so reckless. I was protective by nature, and to have a _girl _here in the midst of these men gave me a natural sense of responsibility for her well-being. But for her sake, I lied.

"...I wasn't really worried," I said, thinking this would make her feel better, but it didn't for some reason. She managed to show me a relieved sort of smile, but I was under the impression that there was something sad about it, though I couldn't put my finger on it or pin it down. Had I said something wrong? Had she _wanted _me to say I was worried about her?

That's when Naruto threw his arm around her shoulders, surprising both of us. "Are you kidding? He scared the crap out of me! Kei, I thought you were gonna die! Don't you ever do that again, y'hear?"

Kei smiled at him and said, "I can't guarantee that, Naruto. I'll prove my worth as many times as it needs proving."

Neji said, "I don't think we really got to experience your true skill with a katana today-more just your shocking agility. Would you like to show us sometime how good you really are, Kei?"

Kei looked delighted and she grinned, giggling. "I'd love to!"

At that moment, everyone, myself included, blinked, feeling heat rise to our faces. I think the thought going through everyone's mind at the time was, "...Cute..."

Ah, that girl didn't even have a clue to what she was doing, either. I felt relieved that I was the only one who knew her true identity. There was a strange sort of feeling that came with it- like, even though I knew a secret that I shouldn't, knowing made me feel better around her. More natural.

I looked away quickly, asking, "Are there any other weapons you're good at using?"

She looked up at me, her eyes a startlingly pretty green. I had only just noticed them. "Yeah," she said. "I can use the naginata pretty well, as well as nodachi. I'm still learning to properly wield a nagamaki, and unfortunately, I'm still attempting to master using a bow and arrow."

I raised my eyebrows, impressed. "...That's pretty amazing."

"Well," she said, her cheeks coloring a little, rubbing a hand behind her neck, "after my father died, I wanted so much to help my family out by successfully taking his place. My...my mother didn't seem to appreciate my efforts much. She always favored my younger brother, though. I could never find a place in her heart."

I felt a wave of sadness rush through me, and I wondered if that was the fate of almost all girls-to feel useless in the environment where they should feel needed. Perhaps she joined the army, not only to save this other person, Kei, but to prove her worth to her family somehow. This thought made my heart ache. I felt the strongest urge to reach out and comfort her.

She caught me staring again and said, her tone kind, "...Don't pity me, Izumi. If you pity me, I'll feel sorry for myself, too, and that won't get me anywhere."

I blinked in surprise, then hastily turned my head, pretending to focus on something else. I was feeling rather frustrated with myself- this girl was filling my thoughts and making me feel warm with happiness and confusion every time I spoke to her. What on earth was she doing to have this effect on me? I'd only just met her.

But, even though we had only become acquainted, I felt...comfortable around her. She made me feel like smiling whenever I was around her, and for a young woman disguised as a boy, it seemed glaringly obvious to me that she was a beautiful girl (evidently the other men here, just taking for granted that she was in the army so she must be a boy, didn't seem to notice her feminine habits or mannerisms).

I looked around at the sea of men who sat in the tents, eating. Some were talking, many laughing, and just as many were aloof and silent. So many different people of all ranks, half of them probably facing their eminent deaths. _No matter if he is a footman, or a general, or the leader of the whole army, every man will die. Maybe not in this war, but at some point..._

That reminded me. We still had yet to meet the captain of our troop, and I wasn't sure when he'd emerge. I wondered what he was doing, holed up in his tent, but I figured that he was just making plans.

At that moment, someone stood behind Kei, and all of us looked to see it was Meido. Kei stiffened, and I unthinkingly put an arm out to shield her, as did Naruto. I glanced over at him and flashed him a quick look, and he gave me a slight nod.

Meido said to Naruto and I, "Uzumaki, Togu! There'll be no need to that; I didn't come to beat him again."

Naruto lowered his arm, but I wasn't so quick. Then, Kei lay a gentle hand on my forearm. "Hey," was all she said, and I lowered my arm, albeit slowly.

Meido stood there, his hands behind his back, his face stern. "...Haruno."

"Yes, sir." Kei looked fairly uneasy, but she was trying her hardest to be brave as she stood and quickly saluted him. He gave her a curt nod, seeming a bit embarrassed and frustrated.

"I'm sorry for giving you a hard time today," Meido said, causing Shikamaru to drop his chopsticks in surprise and Sasuke to choke on his drink. Sai quickly pounded Sasuke on the back and Shikamaru scrambled to get his utensils. Meido threw them dirty looks.

"It was wrong of me to do, and I knew that I wasn't being fair. I used my power in a way that I shouldn't have, and you proved me wrong with three simple moves. It was...astounding. I've been thinking about it a lot, and I hope you'll accept my apology and forgive me."

Kei's green eyes were wide. Finally, though, she spoke and smiled a little ruefully. "I think I already forgave you, sir," she said, and I hid a smile.

**...**

I was woken up during the night by someone attacking me.

I jolted awake when I felt a foot land a kick in my stomach, and I sat up, whipping my dagger out, wide awake. "Who's there?" I demanded in a low voice, not wanting to wake Kei and worry her.

There was no one there, to my surprise, and I cautiously lay back down, only to have a hand swing and hit me in the chest. It was coming from the other side of the bed, Kei's side, and I whipped around, wielding my knife angrily. Quietly, I leaned over Kei in a defensive position as she slept, curled up like a cat. My eyes flicked around the dark tent, trying to pinpoint the danger. Whoever it was, they were near...wait.

Kei made a murmuring noise in her sleep and swung her other arm around, hitting my chest.

"Oh, so it's you?" I murmured dryly. "Stop moving around, Kei."

She made a muffled noise in her sleep. "Mmmf."

I snorted. "Oh, is that a no?" I whispered, wondering vaguely in the back of my mind why I was talking to a sleeping girl as if she were awake.

Kei didn't say anything, just drifted into a deeper sleep.

I chuckled and ruffled her hair, my hand lingering on her head for a second, staring at her. In the dark of the ten, I couldn't see her very well, but I saw the shape of her, moving up and down slightly with her breathing.

Girls breathed differently than boys in their sleep, I noticed. There was something beautiful about it.

I lay back down and settled in to sleep, and the next time Kei's foot came at me, I grabbed it and eased it back to her, keeping a pillow on my stomach just in case.


	8. Protector

Okay, so it's been forever. To those who had been following this story, I apologize for my tardiness...which has been, like, a year. See, I had finished this story the summer of 09, and it's taken me this long to publish it (I had it published in full on TONFA-The Original Naruto Fanfic Archive-but took quite some time getting it on here).

Please enjoy, feel free to leave a review (and it is much appreciated), and do forgive the pitiful writings of a 14-year-old (looking back as a now 16-year-old, this is downright embarrassing.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~XXXX

SAKURA

I was in a lot of pain the next few days after the punishment ordeal.

Everyone wanted to spar with me- it was absolutely insane. I defeated everyone easily, but it was a strain on my muscles, and every so often, pain would shoot through me and I would have to sit down, pretending like it didn't hurt, because there was a long line of people waiting for me and looking up to me at the same time.

Every night, when I was sure Izumi had fallen asleep, I would sit up in bed and clutch my stomach, my ribs, my arms and moan. I wouldn't cry, but I wold come pretty close, shaking and whimpering with pain. It felt like someone was burning me all over, the way my body felt. I hated it, but I would have to be brave.

At least Kei's not the one feeling this way, I reasoned with myself, and thinking that thought was bittersweet to me. But at least there was enough sweet to comfort me.

Izumi's fingers drummed nervously on the table, sitting across from me and seemingly staring at me, but with a blank look in his eyes that told me he wasn't really seeing me.

I watched his fingers, picking up a piece of beef with my chopsticks. I looked up at him and gave him a questioning look, waving my hand in front of his eyes.

"Sorry," he apologized, snapping into focus and taking his hand from the table.

"You don't need to apologize, I'm just wondering what's wrong," I said.

"...We break camp tomorrow," he said. "You know what that means, right, Kei?"

"Of course," I said, "but this is news to me."

"Well, it's not gonna be that bad, is it?" asked Naruto, who was having an intense staring contest with Sasuke who sat across the table from him. "Just a little traveling. Sasuke, you blinked!"

"Nuh-uh!" said Sasuke stubbornly.

"It's more than just a little traveling!" Izumi said. "We're breaking camp to head across the country, dimwits!"

"Naruto, you blinked!" Sasuke shouted, pointing a finger at Naruto, who didn't flinched, just boosted his concentration.

"Knock it off, you two," I said dryly, reaching out with my chopsticks to poke Naruto. At that moment though, my arm burned with pain and I dropped the chopsticks, gasping and grabbing my upper arm.

"Kei!" cried Izumi, swinging his legs over the table and leaping over it dexterously. "Kei, are you all right? No, that's a stupid question- Kei, what do you want me to do?"

I was shaking. "...Nothing..." I said. "It'll pass..."

Izumi gritted his teeth in a frustrated way. "No, you're hurt!" He touched my arm with surprising gentleness, but it still hurt enough to make me cry out, then bite my tongue to silence myself.

The three boys stared with horrified looks on their faces. "...Kei, you should've told someone that you were hurt," said Sasuke seriously, coming around to the other side of the table in a manner similar to Izumi. He knelt in front of me and gave me a long stare. "One of the most important things to recognize in the army, even more than bravery, is when you've pushed yourself too far. Kei, if you continue like this, I'm afraid you'll wear yourself out-"

"No!" I cried without thinking. "If I give up, then this will all be for nothing!"

Izumi exhaled quietly, then, much to my surprise, put his hand on my head. "...Don't push yourself, Kei," he said, standing and walking away. He seemed concerned and almost upset, and I wondered what was wrong. Was it something I had done? I was really confused. Izumi spun my head around in circles and didn't give me time to gain my balance.

Sasuke stared after Izumi and said thoughtfully, "...It's nice of him to be your protector, Kei.

I gasped. "What did you call him?"

"You protector," Naruto said, and he and Sasuke grinned at me. "I say it suits him pretty well. He's always looking out for you- haven't you noticed?"

"...Yes...no...no, not really...yeah, I have..." I said, confused. Naruto and Sasuke stood and sat on either side of me, grinning mischievously.

"Well, what do you think, Kei?" said Sasuke, raising an eyebrow. I remembered vaguely that I'd always wanted to be able to do that, to only raise one eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" I asked rather uncomfortably.

"What do you think of Izumi?" Naruto finished for Sasuke, also raising his eyebrow. Damn, that's another one, I thought.

"He's just my...friend?" I asked, not sure why I stated it like a question.

Naruto and Sasuke leaned back to make eye contact with each other and sniggered.

"Sure, like Sasuke and I are 'just friends', Kei," Naruto said sarcastically, to which I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Uh?" I asked.

"Don't you see?" Sasuke said dramatically, "Naruto and I are bonded by the bonds-"

"Waitaminit!" cried Naruto, "Whaddya mean, 'bonded by the bonds'? That's so uncool-sounding, Sasuke!"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Anything, not 'bonded by the bonds', though! That's so dumb, and it's uncreative, too!"

"Fine- you think of something better, Naruto!"

"I will, actually!" Naruto cleared his throat and gazed at me seriously. "Sasuke and I are...are...bonded by the bonds-"

"WHAT THE HELL? THAT'S WHAT I JUST SAID, YOU MORON!" Sasuke yelled as Naruto burst out laughing.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Naruto cried, shaking with laughter. "Okay, Sasuke and I are more than just friends- we're best friends. You and Izumi are more than friends...and maybe more than best friends. That's what we're asking."

I felt my eyes widen, and I looked left and right at both of the boys on either side of me, feeling my face flame. "Are you seriously asking me if Izumi and I are in a romantic relationship?" I demanded.

Naruto and Sasuke's eyes got big and they leaned in on either side of me, waiting expectantly.

I jumped up from my seat, leg muscles screaming in protest. "No, no, no, NO!" I cried. "You've got it all wrong!"

"Do we?" they said at the same time, grinning at me evilly.

I floundered, completely flustered. "You two are idiots."

"Quite right, but we're perceptive idiots," Naruto said. "Well, I am. Sasuke's not; he's just an idiot."

"Hey! You stupid-" Sasuke cried, wrapping Naruto in a headlock.

"Look, you two," I said nervously, "I'm not sure what gave you that idea, but you're wrong."

Naruto looked up at me from Sasuke's arm around his neck, and Sasuke looked at me with a look on his face that suggested that he knew more than I did. That look surprised and frightened me, and I stepped back and walked away, leaving the two there to roughhouse and play around.


	9. A Mother's Love

Again, thank you for reading and please enjoy. This chapter's inspiration was from the lovely song from the movie "Quest for Camelot" titled "The Prayer". If you've heard the Celine Dion song titled by the same name, you may be surprised to know that she sang her hit song, originally, for this movie (which it was composed for). You learn something new every day, huh.

Disclaimer (which I never remember to put): I don't own Naruto, otherwise it wouldn't be fanfiction.

MIZUKI

When my children were asleep, I used to go and visit the shrine of my husband and his sister. My husband Kimihiro was the first and last man I ever loved, and Mayumi was my dearest friend, despite the dramatic differences in the way we viewed things.

After Kei and I watched Sakura leave, I felt as if my heart could break.

She...she reminded me so much of Mayumi, but for some reason, it estranged me from her, even though Mayumi and I were so close. It was strange, almost- Sakura was everything like Mayumi except in looks. Just the way she acted, the confidence in herself, and the way her eyes were. They blazed.

Moments after my daughter left us, I walked, not thinking about my movements, to Mayumi's shrine. I knelt, lit a candle, and sobbed. I begged Mayumi to watch over her, and then I pleaded with Kimihiro to keep his daughter safe.

My best friend, my sister-in-law, had been taken from me, and now, my daughter, her replica, had too.

After Mayumi and Kimihiro's deaths, I was almost frightened of my daughter. She was the reincarnation of Mayumi- and then Kimihiro. She could wield a blade as well as he could- possibly better. She became her father and aunt in all respects, from the way she fought to the way she moved, and from the way she acted to the way she even spoke. She was unflinchingly devoted to Kei and did anything for his happiness.

And as such, my daughter and I drifted.

I still loved her. Oh, how I loved her. But I was scared of what Mayumi and Kimihiro had left behind- they had left themselves, their spirits, behind in the body of this young woman. I couldn't get near her- it was like trying to get near the sun. If I got too close to that radiance and brilliance, I would be burned, hurtling back to earth and not quite learning my lesson.

Perhaps she resented me for it. For purposely ignoring her. But I had never quite understood her- never understood the talent and vividness of her skills, never understood the drive hat pushed her forward, never understood the person that she was. All I could see was the two people I had lost standing behind her, as her eyes blazed and her spirit soared.

I tried to treat her like a normal young woman. I scolded her for fighting and mastering weapons, dressed her up in kimonos and tried to get her married, like any other mother would do for the daughter she loved. However, it was to no avail and she resisted. It was like keeping a bird in a cage- no matter what I did, no matter what my reasons, she would flap and resist that barrier holding her back.

Finally, though, she broke free entirely, and she left us.

I knew it was to protect Kei, and i suspected that her motivation behind it was to not only protect him, but to make me happy as well. It was obvious that she knew I paid so much more attention to him.

She looked back at me as she rode away on that horse in Kimihiro's armor.

And Sakura smiled at me. Not Mayumi or Kimihiro. Sakura. My daughter.

It tore me apart. I wanted to run after her, to snatch her off that horse and hold her to me, to tell her how proud of her I was, to tell her how much I loved her and adored her. I wanted to tell her stories about the aunt and father she resembled so much, and I wanted her to tell me about herself. I could never know enough about her.

A mother loves all her children, but it's the child she can never seem to reach that she loves the most.

And tonight, I climbed out of bed and tiptoed past Kei's room, and I went to the shrine. I lit a candle, knelt, cried, and prayed.

I would do so every night until my precious daughter had returned to me.


	10. Boys Will Be Boys

Mild fluff...the best I could do when I was 14 and was actually writing the Sasu/Naru for someone else's benefit, heh heh. (Two years and my writing has changed drastically.)

* * *

SASUKE

Naruto and I sat at the stream that we had discovered the other day, wading our feet. I glanced at him. His suntanned skin was a little wet from the humidity, and his face was a little red from the heat.

I spoke. "Hey, dobe."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"You told Kei we were best friends," I said.

"We are," Naruto said, taking off his shirt and getting into the water. The water was cool and clear.

"...I think...I want to be...more than friends," I said.

Naruto turned and looked at me, the water making reflective patterns on his chest and stomach. He looked surprised for a second, but he smiled and spoke.

"So you too?" he said. "I kinda liked you from the first time I saw you. I thought I just clicked with you, but it was something else."

I smiled. "So, dobe. You were crushin' on me first?"

Naruto gave me a mischievous grin that I liked. "Yup. I've known you for a week now, and I can't explain it, but whatever. It's good enough for me just knowing."

I snorted. "You sound like a girl."

"No! A girl would be simpering and saying, 'Really, Sasuke? Prove that you love me!' Y'know? And she'd act like this." He clasped his hands together and leaned toward me, batting his eyelashes.

"You're such an idiot," I laughed, splashing him with water.

He gave me a grin and stood there, waist-deep in water, and suddenly asked, "What will we tell everyone else if they ask?"

"The truth," I said, "or nothing."

Naruto's blue eyes were soft. "That's so like you to say that."

"I wouldn't expect you to say anything else," I told him honestly.

He laughed, climbing out of the stream and lying on his back. I put my head on his stomach and we fell asleep in the sun.


	11. Quid Pro Quo

Anyone who likes politics will know what "quid pro quo" means, and anyone who likes funny sayings will too. For those who don't, it's the equivalent of "tit for tat." I guess the best definition I can give is it's a favor or advantage granted or expected for something.

* * *

IZUMI

My sister says that when I'm dedicated to something, my eyes take on a gray hue. It was just something she had noticed over time.

One time, she said, when some men were harassing her for money, I came up and sent them away, and when I looked back at her, my eyes weren't their faded blue color- they were smoky gray.

It was evening, and I sat at the stream that Naruto and Sasuke had told me about. I looked in the water, which was surprisingly clean and clear, but moving too fast for me to see my reflection. I scooped some water up and looked in it like it was a mirror. I could see the full moon behind me, but that was about it. It was otherwise too dark to see much.

I drank the water from my hands and relished the coolness. It had almost a clear taste to it, which I loved. It tasted like water from Heaven.

I heard a noise from downstream and looked to see that Kei was there, laying on her stomach, one finger in the water, making swirling patterns. She was thinking about someone- that much was obvious, from the way she smiled in that sad way.

I knew I shouldn't have, but I continued to watch her. All at once, something came to my head, something my mother had said to me.

I had a crush on a girl when I was thirteen, four years ago. I would practically worship her, doing whatever she pleased. And for a long time, I thought she loved me too- -she was dependent on me, it seemed. She would ask things of me, and I would do them, willingly, not stopping to think.

It took me a long time to realize that she was taking advantage of me. I hadn't understood it at the time, and I finally asked her if she had used me, to which she replied yes.

It had broken me. It hurt me that someone I cared about, or thought I cared about, would lie to me, and that on top of that, she would take advantage of me.

I stopped being on good terms with that girl and hadn't fallen in love since. My mother had said to me, "...When you find someone and you realize they're completely different from that girl you once had affection for, and that you love that about them, then you'll have found someone who's right for you, Izumi."

I looked at Kei, wondering why I had thought of that.

The moon was shining down on her, illuminating her face and making her glow. It was beautiful. I felt tempted to go over to her, to let her know that I was there, but I stopped myself for some reason. I didn't want her to know I was there.

She was smiling, her cheek in her hand, but there was something inexplicably sad about her. Like she was holding something back.

I got a little closer, but not close enough that she could sense me, gazing at her. I felt this overwhelming urge to go over to her and hold her. She had such an effect on me, but I was just there to make sure her secret wasn't found out.

I was probably nothing to her.

But..._she_ was important to _me_.

When she had received her punishment from Meido, it had taken all my willpower not to run to her and defend her with every ounce of strength in me. Already then, she was important to me. Maybe it was because I was her friend. Maybe it was because I admired her bravery, but was terrified to let her get hurt. But she had pride- she wouldn't let herself be looked down upon.

I think the moment I fell in love with her was when she was balancing delicately on her katana, hands on the hilt, one leg curled and the other leg swung out, almost hitting Meido's face, but not quite, demonstrating that while she was indeed powerful, she was controlled and balanced, and that she was also compassionate. Even though Meido had hurt her to the point where she shook with pain, she would not hurt him.

I didn't recognize how I'd felt then, really. It just resonated deep within me, and I liked the feeling of being around her.

Throughout the week, I found myself watching over her. I let her do as she pleased- she sparred with most of the men in the camp and defeated them without even trying. She was a genius at using a katana, and it astounded me. But twice that week, I had dueled men who were planning to use dirty tricks to defeat her. After I won, the deal was that they would not spar with Kei again.

I had to pretend not to be attracted to her, but it was hard. What guy wouldn't be? She was strong but gentle, and though she was disguised as a man, since I knew her real gender, all I could see was an incredibly beautiful girl.

That's when I had to remind myself that I was a gentleman.

But that was the last thing on my mind as I watched her at the water's edge.

She lay there, staring into the water moving past, and whispered one thing.

"...Mom..."

With that, she started crying.

I hadn't once seen her cry, not in my whole time there. Sometimes I'd wake up during the night to find her sitting up in bed, shaking, but never crying. It was like she promised herself that she wouldn't, and now, the thought of her mother had broken her, had triggered that reaction.

She sat the miserably, crying and whispering, "Mom," over and over like a mantra. Finally, she said one more thing until she fell asleep with exhaustion.

"Izumi," she said, and then fell asleep, her head sinking down into the grass.

My eyes widened, and my heart started beating fast. I finally smiled a little, and I went over to her sleeping figure.

I stood there for a second, looking at her thoughtfully, then lifted her up into my arms, cradling her. I sighed and squeezed her tiny frame, wanting this moment to last forever, but knowing it couldn't, knowing I wasn't really the one she'd be happy with. She had Kei, didn't she? She loved him enough to protect him...but he was a lousy lover if he let his girl willingly sacrifice herself by taking his place in the army. And he seemed like a jerk. And a coward too. I hated him already.

But mostly because he had stolen the heart of this girl.

I carried her back to the tent and put her down on her side of the bed and went to my other, wishing I could hold her at least a little longer. She was so warm and soft.

I stayed a little wary, waiting for her leg to swing out and give me a good kick in the back, but it wasn't her feet that reached out to me. I suddenly felt her arms wrap around me.

Stunned, I pushed myself up on my elbow and said quietly, "Kei?" but she was fast asleep, her cheek pressed against my back, her arms locked around my torso.

I blinked in surprise, feeling my face heat up, but I smiled.

"You have no self-awareness, do you, Kei Haruno?" I murmured, turning on my other side so that I faced her. She adjusted in her sleep, but now put her face against my heart, as if she was aching to feel it beat. I sighed quietly, brushed the hair from her face, and wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly against me.

I fell asleep with her in my arms, thinking that she was the only one I wanted to hold this way ever again.

I had to wake up early so that I could put Kei on her side of the bed again. It made me kind of sad to take her arms off of me, but it had to be done, or else she'd wake up thinking that I had attacked her in her sleep. Which, when I thought about, came pretty close- even though she was the one who started it, I continued it and didn't push her away, even though I probably should have.

Today was the day we'd start traveling and the day we'd finally get to meet our captain. I was rather curious to see who I'd been assigned to, but I was more overcome with anxiety about the traveling. I didn't like traveling and tried to avoid it if I could. Now, I obviously couldn't.

I got out of bed, rubbing my eyes, and reached over to gently shake the sleeping girl who was breathing gently. But I stopped, full realization of what exactly I'd done washing over me.

I had held her to me all night long, no consideration for her feelings. I hadn't done anything...well, I did kiss the top of her head once, but that was all.

I was completely mortified- no, beyond that. I was overcome with self-loathing. What kind of gentleman gave into his own desires at the cost of another?

A tiny voice in my head said quietly, _Someone who wasn't a gentleman would have pushed her away. It is the height of foolishness to be rude to a woman._

I almost burst out laughing. I can't believe that I was making excuses for myself. It was embarrassingly shameful.

"Kei," I said quietly, shaking her tiny shoulder gently, noticing that she was starting to tone up. It added a nice curve to her upper arm.

She didn't stir, so I leaned in and crouched next to her on the bed. "Hey. Wake up, Kei," I said, remembering how difficult it was to wake her up. She wouldn't budge most of the time, and I would take me shaking her very hard, shouting her name.

Today, though, she was different. "...Don't wake me up," she breathed quietly, sighing. "Don't wake me up, Izumi."

I cocked my head to one side, confused. "Huh? Why not?"

"I'm having a nice dream," she murmured, tugging the blanket up and smiling, her eyes still shut.

I snorted. "Maybe that's just an excuse for me not to wake you up. Come on- we an get the best portions at breakfast if we go early..." I said.

"No, no," she said, shaking her head drowsily.

I sighed. "I'll bring you back something, okay?"

"Thanks a million, Izumi..." she said, drifting from her semi-sleep back into her regular sleep.

Her shirt was twisted a little, revealing the vest slightly. I blushed a little, and said to the sleeping girl, "Hey- your shirt's messed up." I reached over and fixed it, brushing her skin once.

In her sleep, she giggled and mumbled, "Izumi, you're a pervert!"

My jaw dropped and my hand recoiled quickly. "Sorry," I said hastily, but she just smiled a little goofily and turned over in her sleep. I fought the urge to laugh.

I left the tent. The sun hadn't quite risen yet, but it was about to. I looked around for any sign of the Captain. From what I heard, he was a genius who spent his days planning a battle for every possible outcome.

I went to get in line for food. It was short early in the morning, but some people were smart enough to wake up early to get the best portions.

A young man who was a little taller than I came up to me and said, "Morning," and stood behind me, waiting for his food.

"Morning," I said, glancing at him and giving him a quick smile before turning back.

"...What's your name?" he asked me, and I looked back at him again. He looked to be about twenty years old, with dark brown eyes and thick waves of chestnut colored hair. He had broad shoulders and his eyes burned with intelligence. I wondered who he was, for I hadn't seen him around. He was dressed like the rest of us soldiers, though.

"Izumi Togu," I said, sticking out my hand. He shook it. He had a firm grip. "And yours?"

"Hiro Sakuragi," he said. "...Can I ask you a few questions?"

I was a little confused, but said, "...Sure."

"Who, would you say, is the strongest in the troop?"

"Meido, the Training Captain," I answered instantly. No one could rival his brawn.

"No, in the troop."

"Oh, sorry. Um...I guess I'd have to say...him," I said after thinking about it for a while, pointing at a strong man whose name I didn't know, but was standing a few yards away, polishing his boots.

Hiro stared, frowning. "Hmm. He doesn't look too bright. Okay...then who's the best weapons user in the troop?"

"Kei Haruno," I said without hesitation. "Sh- uh- He's brilliant. He can handle a katana better than anyone I've ever seen. People will spar with him but he won't even break a sweat an defeat them within seconds. His longest fight was only two minutes long. He can use all these different weapons, too, not just the katana. You hand him a weapon and he'll excel at it."

"You think very highly of him," Hiro noted.

I looked down. "He's a very close friend."

"I see. Now, who do you think is the best strategist, or at least the smartest ones in the troop?"

"Shikamaru Nara," I said, "and Sasuke Uchiha. They're both of high caliber when it comes to intelligence."

Hiro nodded, putting a finger to his chin. "Which man in the troop can keep his head cool during a fight? And has strong tenacity?"

"Kei Haruno, again," I said instantly. "But that's obvious- you saw his fight with Meido, right?"

Hiro shook his head.

My eyes widened. "What? How cold you not have seen it? All the men were gathered..." Then I got it. "You're the Captain, aren't you?"

Hiro nodded with a faint smile. "Yes."

"Sorry, Captain," I said, bowing my head slightly once. "...Were you working on military plans?"

"Of course. I have several strategies planned for almost every outcome," Hiro said, then nodded his head toward the tent. "Your turn, Izumi Togu."

"Oh, thanks," I said, then said to the cook who was shoveling out foot into a bowl, "Can I get some for my tentmate? He's...in the tent with an injury." If I said he was still sleeping, they'd probably get mad at me.

The cook nodded silently, preparing a second bowl.

"So..." I said, "you have everything ready? Will it go according to plan?"

Hiro chuckled. "In military operations, _nothing_ goes according to plan, Izumi Togu. We can only hope they go in the right direction."

I smiled, swallowing slightly, and began to be worried. The brief thought flashed into my mind that I would stay by Kei's side the whole time if things did _not_ go in the right direction. The mental image of myself standing in front of her, sword drawn, with her clinging to me, made my neck heat up and I quickly brushed it from my mind.

"Well, Captain," I said, "thank you for your hard work, and I guarantee you that, should things not go according to plan, I'll still be here."

"Why?" asked Hiro curiously. "If things went wrong, you would have every right to turn on your captain. Why stay?"

I took the two bowls of food waiting for me. "Because someone I know would stand by your side to fight, and I have to protect that person." I gave my captain a quick salute and walked away, hearing him chuckle at my answer.

I went back to the tent and Kei was still asleep, her arms and legs wrapped around a pillow.

"Kei, I have your food," I told her. "Get up and eat it before it gets cold, idiot."

She opened her eyes and frowned. "Ugh, Izumi..."

I smiled when I saw her face. She looked comically angry.

"Hey, I met the Captain," I told her.

"Really? What's he like?" she mumbled, sitting up and holding her hands out for food.

I handed the bowl to her. She almost dropped it because she wasn't expecting the heat. "HOT!" she yelped, setting the food down on the bed and looking at her hands, which were turning red. She clenched them into fists, biting her lip.

I went over to her and took one of her hands in my own, gently uncurling the fist and looking at her shaking hand. I touched the skin gently, frowning. "I'm sorry," I said. "I should've waited until it was cooler. I have my palm gloves on, see?" I held up one of my own hands and glanced up at her, only to see a peculiar expression on her face that I didn't understand.

I quickly let go of her hand, but she kept her hand there. "Your hands are big," she told me in a surprised voice.

"No," I corrected her, "your hands are just small."

She smiled a little, and she made a move like she was tucking her hair behind her ear, but remembered at the last minute that it was too short. After our food was done, we sat on the bed and I rifled through a backpack, making sure I'd packed correctly for the journey ahead. It was starting to get cooler, being October.

Kei sneezed and put her hands on her arms. "Izumi- hand me my jacket, would you?" she asked, but instead, I gave her my own. "That'll be warmer," I told her. She looked surprised and touched.

"Where we're heading, it'll be even colder," I told her. She didn't reply. "It'll be warm though, for the next few days."

"...Izumi," she asked after a moment of silence. "...Who exactly are we fighting?"

"You joined the army without even knowing _that_ much?" I said, raising my eyebrows.

She nodded.

I sighed. "We're going to be fighting for control of our country against the Continent," I said, but I've heard...rumors."

"Rumors?" she asked me, her brow furrowing.

"I've heard that they're going to also try to assassinate the Continent's leader, or at least the leader of the army. I've heard that he's a sadistic man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants..." I trailed off, suddenly understand why the Captain had asked me about the men in our troop today. And how I'd unthinkingly mentioned Kei.

A soldier suddenly came to our tent and handed me another bowl of food. "A quid pro quo from the Captain in return for your help this morning," he told me, saluting.

But I felt sick. I might've sent Kei to her death.

I had to protect her. I would at all costs. Even if it meant my life.


	12. Will the Sun Ever Shine Again?

I'm kind of back to publishing this, even though it's a completed story- might as well get it out of the way. I wrote this aaaages ago, and my writing has improved so much, so reading this is just...mildly pathetic for me, haha.

* * *

NARUTO

The day we met our captain was the day we broke camp.

Captain Hiro Sakuragi came around and personally introduced himself to each member of his troops, quietly observing as us we talked to him and each other.

Sasuke and I were helping Izumi and Kei take down their tent and in return they would help take down ours. Hiro came over at that time, and I saw Izumi glance over at him and say, "Captain."

Sasuke, Kei, and I turned in surprise. _So this was the captain that had hid himself away for a week doing battle strategies_, I realized. _I thought he would be nerdier._

He was tall with a rather handsome face, with a square jaw, framed by chestnut waves. His eyes were a piercing dark brown.

"I'd like to introduce myself to you all," he said quietly, giving us a faint smile. "Hiro Sakuragi. I'm going to be your captain." He held out his hand to Kei, and Kei in turn reached out to shake it. As he did, the Captain flipped his wrist like he was going to lash out, and Kei, without thinking, smacked his hand away quickly, settling instantly into a position that could quickly move from defensive to offensive, his eyes blazing. They flicked back and forth in confusion. Izumi quickly stepped in front of Kei, a suddenly very dangerous look in his gray eyes.

I did a double take. Gray? They'd always appeared blue to me. A faded blue, like a favorite shirt that had been worn too many times. A trustworthy sort of blue.

But now I could see that they were very obviously gray.

I furrowed my brow. Perhaps it was just the light. It was an extremely gloomy day out- maybe it was because there was a storm coming, with dark clouds blacking out the sun, that I wasn't seeing his eyes right.

I swung my focus onto something else- the fact that our captain had seemingly tried to attack Kei. And also the fact that Izumi was guarding Kei as if the captain had really posed as a serious threat, though I knew Kei could probably take him down in a second.

Something about the way the two of them looked was peculiar. For one, Izumi looked way too defensive.

And two, Kei looked like a girl. Just the way he sort of stood, one leg tilted back, a hand lifted to his chest, the alarmed look in his eyes, and the way he naturally gravitated toward Izumi like he was welcoming that protection.

I brushed the thought away quickly. It was ridiculous anyway.

Izumi's expression was dark, and he nearly growled, "What, exactly, were you doing?"

"Good reflexes," noted Hiro quietly to himself. He looked at the alert Kei who stood behind the angry Izumi. "Izumi Togu, Kei Haruno, there's no cause for alarm. I was merely checking your reflexes." He gave Kei the same faint smile as he'd worn before. "You're as talented as I've heard. Everyone's talking about how incredible you are- did you know that?"

Kei warily shook his head. "...No, Captain."

Hiro's eyes suddenly got an almost confused look in them, and I couldn't blame him.

For a second, I had thought a girl had spoken.

Kei spoke again. His voice was normal, and both Hiro and I relaxed a little. "I mean, I've received praise for what I've done, but honestly, I haven't heard anyone talking about me."

I glanced at Sasuke, and from the look in his eyes, I could tell that he had heard Kei incorrectly too.

Izumi slowly backed off, looking slightly agitated.

Captain Hiro noticed this. "No need to be so defensive, Izumi," he said quietly. "I was just testing him."

"I hope there isn't a need to test him again," said Izumi darkly before Kei cut him off.

"Stop, Izumi," he said softly. "Knock it off."

Izumi glanced at the boy behind him, opened his mouth as if to say something, and the broke off, clamping his mouth shut. I could practically feel the pressure of his gaze on Kei.

"Captain," said Kei finally, looking at his captain with his bright green eyes. "It's nice to finally meet you. I hope I can serve you well."

The Captain gave him a kind sort of smile. "You seem like a very bright young man. Fast and strong, too. Very talented. But all the same, I know that there's someone who would have my head if I ever let you fall into danger."

Izumi's brow furrowed and his eyes turned hard. I suspected that he knew something that we didn't.

The Captain turned to me. "Nice to meet you."

I glanced at his hand. "Are you gonna attack me too when I stick my hand out?"

Hiro's eyes went a little wider, then he laughed. "No, don't worry." I shook his hand. He had a firm grip and good eye contact. "I like you- you're pretty quick. What's your name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki," I said, pleased with the praise.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Hiro repeated, then turned to Sasuke. "And you, young warrior? I like the fire in your eyes."

Sasuke gave him a small confident smile. "Sasuke Uchiha."

"Ah, so _this_ is Sasuke Uchiha," said Hiro knowingly, and I knew that he'd heard about Sasuke from more than just me. "Good to meet you, Sasuke."

Sasuke shook his hand. "An honor, sir."

"Likewise," nodded Hiro. "Well, gentlemen, thank you- I look forward to working with you more these next few weeks." He glanced up at the sky. "I doubt we can beat the storm, but I don't want that stopping us. I hope you don't mind getting wet."

With that, he walked off. As soon as he was gone, I turned to Izumi and said quietly so that Sasuke and Kei wouldn't hear, "What the hell was _that_, Izumi? What were you freaking out about? He seems like a good guy-"

"I might have sent Kei to his death, and Sasuke and Shikamaru too," Izumi said quietly, rage evident in his face.

I froze, stunned. "...What? What did you say?" I asked, unsure if I had heard correctly.

"That man was questioning me earlier on the best people in our troop. I said that Sasuke and Shikamaru were the most intelligent and Kei was the best with weapons and keeping a cool head. I know that Hiro must be creating an assassination team to take down the leader of the Continent's army," Izumi muttered quietly, but he stopped, turning his head. I looked too to see that Kei was standing there, an absolutely indescribable look of sadness on his face.

"You don't need to do that anymore, Izumi," he said, giving Izumi a small smile. "I can take care of myself. The Captain said so, didn't he?"

That's when i remembered what the Captain had said. _"You seem like a very bright young man. Fast and strong, too. Very talented. But all the same, I know that there's someone who would have my head if I ever let you fall into danger."_

I knew instantly that the "someone" Hiro was talking about was Izumi. I can't believe he had come out and blatantly stated that. It was incredible.

Sasuke seemed to read my mind. He put a hand on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, standing behind me, "Jeez- it's like the Captain was just shouting that Izumi's got a soft spot for Kei."

I nodded.

Then, we made eye contact and grinned, mouthing, "_I knew it!_" at the same time.

The Captain said there would be a storm, and storm it did. Rain was pouring down like the heavens were hurting.

I shivered and the rain blinded me. Everything was a dark shade of gray, all around- and the worst part was, I couldn't see three feet in front of me. That's how hard it was raining.

I stumbled. "Whoa!" I yelped, before someone reached out and caught me. I turned and saw Sasuke, water running from his hair onto his face.

"Hey," he told me, almost teasingly. "You can't do that. I don't know if you noticed, but you're carrying our _house_ on your back."

I laughed. "A pretty soggy house, isn't it? The cloth's so wet that it's added an extra forty pounds to my back."

Sasuke instantly asked, "Want me to carry it?" There was a note of concern creeping into his voice.

"Sasuke, I'm a big boy," I told him, raising an eyebrow.

He chuckled, then held his arm up behind me, and I realized that he was holding up his cloak so that the rain wouldn't pound down on my back anymore.

I was filled with love and gratitude. "Thank you, Sasuke," I said, knowing words would never really bee enough to express my feelings.

He knew this and just smiled. "Yeah."

"I've never had a best friend before," I told him, "I..." But I broke off.

That was a lie. I _did_ have a best friend.

Sasuke glanced over at me and did a double take. "...Naruto?"

I felt myself breathing hard. "Ah..."

Sasuke's voice was alarmed. "Naruto," he said, his voice firm and terrified at the same time. "What's wrong?!"

I looked up at the sky. "...I wonder if the sun'll ever shine again," I murmured, and I started to cry, putting a hand over my face.

_"I wonder if the sun'll ever shine again," she said to me, shaking her head of short black hair. It was cropped to her jaw in choppy lengths- her own handiwork. "Maybe soon it'll all be over, and then we can go outside and play, Naruto."_

_I glared at the rain clouds outside the window._

_"Don't do that," she laughed. I looked at her and smiled._

_"Feels like it's not gonna stop, but then again, I always think that during storms," she informed me, sticking a hand out into the darkness. She pulled it back in and water dripped from it._

_"Naruto, look! It's really pouring hard out there!"_

_I nodded, watching the way she almost glowed in the darkness._

_She got a devious smile on her face. "What do you think? Should we go outside?"_

_I grinned, and we grabbed hands, rushing out into the rainy night._

_Then her hand disappeared from mine and I stood there, empty. _

Sasuke grabbed the hand that was over my eyes and jerked me out of the cage of memory in my head. "Naruto," he said softly, his voiced strained.

"Sasuke," I whispered, "...I've lost her again."

The arm that was shielding me from the rain shielded me from myself as it wrapped around my head, hugging me to his chest. He was cold and wet, and there was rain that was like tears pouring off his cheeks. He smelled like sadness.

"It's okay," he whispered to me. "It's okay. I'm here, right here. I'll be right here."

I cried.

_"Naruto!"_

_Her eyes were glowing their pale green, wide with fear, the same way they were in her last moments. That's how she always looked to me now. "Naruto!"_

_She faded._

"Don't go!"

_"Naruto! Where are you, Naruto?!"_

"Wait- don't go- wait-!"

_"NARUTO!"_

"AKIRA!"

_Silence._

The air filled with my wails, but the rain was so hard that hardly anyone heard it, or saw me break, except Sasuke.

Just Sasuke and Akira.


End file.
